Detroit Pistons are back

After falling behind 0-2 with road losses in the first two games, the Pistons picked up a much-needed win at home and can even the series when the teams meet at the Palace again on Thursday night.

Hamilton scored 24 points after collecting just 14 in each of the first two games, and Billups added 20 with seven assists and six rebounds.

The guards provided a much-needed spark during Detroit’s 23-6 run in the fourth quarter, which turned a 63-61 deficit into an 84-69 advantage.

"The dam burst from that point on...and we didn’t get back in," said Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich.

Billups hit a trio of three-pointers in the second half after the Pistons had made just one in the first 10 quarters of the series. His final three-pointer of the half began an 11-0 burst that capped Detroit’s large run, which put the game out of reach with 6 1/2 minutes left.

San Antonio, which won the first two games of the series by an average of 18 points, allowed 90 points for the first time in its 14 NBA Finals games. The Pistons had scored just 145 total points in Games 1 and 2.

"I think we figured out how hard we have to play," said Detroit head coach Larry Brown.

Tony Parker led the way for San Antonio with 21 points and Tim Duncan had 14 with 10 rebounds. Duncan scored just four points and had only two rebounds in the second half.

That was the story of the game for the Spurs, who collected just 37 points in the second half. Their 14 points in the fourth quarter bested the combined effort of Billups and Hamilton by just two points.

Billups provided probably the two biggest plays of the game on back-to-back possessions.

His third three-pointer of the game gave Detroit a 76-69 lead with 9:36 remaining, and he followed that with a one-handed scoop layup in the lane that beat Duncan for a nine-point lead.

"He kind of made a single-man run there for a while," Duncan said. "When there’s a big play to make, he was the guy to make it."

"That was a great energy play for us," Hamilton said of the layup.

Antonio McDyess scored four straight points after that — on a 19-foot jumper and a bank shot — and Hamilton’s bucket ended Detroit’s 23-6 run at 6:37.

The Spurs were never closer than 11 points the rest of the way.

Ben Wallace added 15 points and 11 rebounds for the Pistons. He blocked five shots — all in the first quarter to tie Bob Lanier’s team record for a postseason quarter.

"He was great. He hit the glass hard all night and played excellent all around," Duncan said.

Wallace and the respected Detroit defense held Spurs guard Manu Ginobili to just seven points on 2-of-6 shooting in 29 minutes. Ginobili averaged 26.5 points over Games 1 and 2.

Bruce Bowen chipped in 13 points for San Antonio, hitting 4-of-6 three- pointers, and Brent Barry had 10 off the bench.

McDyess and Tayshaun Prince added 12 points apiece for the Pistons, who outshot the visitors 47 percent to 43 percent.

The Spurs led 42-41 at halftime. They were ahead by six points at the end of the first quarter before losing the lead when Detroit opened the second with a 7-0 run.

San Antonio then took the first half lead for good on a Robert Horry three- pointer in the final minute. Horry’s three-pointer was his 43rd in the NBA Finals, breaking Michael Jordan’s career Finals record.

Hamilton hit a bank shot to give Detroit a 52-47 lead early in the third quarter — the first lead better than three points by any team in more than 15 minutes.

Wallace followed with a dunk to make it 54-47, and the Pistons eventually led 70-65 heading into the fourth quarter.