Pistons lead Lakers at halftime of Game 5

Each player has 11 points for Detroit, which last won a title in 1990. Wallace is shooting 5-for-5 from the field and has five rebounds. The Pistons are red-hot from the floor, shooting 60.6 percent (20-of-33).

Kobe Bryant is pacing the Lakers with 14 points, while Shaquille O’Neal was held to only seven as he is playing in foul trouble. The three-time Finals MVP has three fouls and has played only 10 minutes.

Detroit took the lead during a 9-0 run midway through the second quarter and hasn’t looked back. Trailing 31-30 after Bryant converted a dunk with 8:57 left, Wallace started the spurt with a free throw and Hamilton’s layup that followed with 8:12 left on the clock gave Detroit a 33-31 edge. Chauncey Billups, who has eight first-half points, capped the burst with a basket at the 7:01 mark for a 39-31 cushion.

Los Angeles’ Slava Medvedenko earned a start at power forward in place of Karl Malone, who is sitting out the contest with a sprained right MCL suffered in Game 2. Medvedenko scored the first six points of the game for LA and has 10 at halftime.