Hamilton leads Pistons to ninth straight win

Ben Wallace added 12 points and a game-high 17 rebounds for the Pistons, who extended their winning streak to nine games. Chauncey Billups chipped in 17 points and seven assists.

Chicago was led by Kirk Hinrich’s 19 points and 12 assists. Jamal Crawford added 13 points for the Bulls, who have lost six of their last nine overall.

Detroit held a commanding 88-68 lead after Tayshaun Prince’s three-point play with 8:10 remaining in the fourth quarter. The Bulls made a game of it, however, with a 17-4 burst to pull within seven.

Marcus Fizer had six points during the run, including a bucket to make it 92-85 with 4:10 left to play. But the Pistons responded with an 11-2 spurt to put the game out of reach.

Hamilton scored six of the 11 points, and capped the run with a jumper at 1:34 to make it 103-87. Rookie first-round draft pick Darko Milicic saw two minutes of action in the waning moments and ended the scoring with a 1-of-2 performance from the foul line.

Chicago activated Scottie Pippen from the injured list before the game, getting their veteran forward back after he missed over a month because of arthroscopic surgery on his left knee.

He went scoreless in 12 minutes off the bench, however, and failed to spark a Bulls squad that was dominated on the boards, 56-35.

Detroit led 28-17 after 12 minutes and extended its lead to 12 points early in the second quarter when Corliss Williamson’s bucket made it 30-18 around the 1:40 mark.

The Bulls cut that deficit in half by the break and headed to the locker room trailing 48-42. Hamilton and Hinrich had 10 points apiece to lead all first- half scorers.