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Detroit Pistons guard Allen Iverson - Source: Reuters -
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Richard Hamilton scored 29 points and delivered a career-best 14 assists to spark the Detroit Pistons to a 98-94 win over the Orlando Magic on Tuesday.
Hamilton, who scored Detroit's final seven points, lifted the Pistons to a 93-90 lead with his jump shot with 1:23 to play, then sank another jumper and made three free throws as he outscored Orlando 7-4 down the stretch.
"We played throughout, kept our composure," Pistons coach
Michael Curry told reporters. "We got to the three-minute mark and
just said, listen, let's get a good shot every possession and let's
just keep getting defensive stops."
Tayshaun Prince contributed 20 points and Antonio McDyess had 13
points and 18 rebounds as Detroit beat Orlando for the second time
in 10 days.
"Luckily, that second half, I caught my second wind," McDyess told reporters. "That first half, I was really tired."
The Pistons (32-30) are 3-0 against the Magic this season and have won 19 of their past 24 regular-season meetings.
Already playing without guard Allen Iverson, who has a back injury, the Pistons lost Rasheed Wallace to a strained left calf late in the first quarter.
Dwight Howard led the Magic (46-17) with 27 points and 14 rebounds. Rashard Lewis added 21 points.
The loss was the first in five games for the Southeast Division leaders, who are the Eastern Conference's third-ranked team.
"All three games (against the Pistons) this year have been winnable in the last few minutes and we haven't been able to get the key rebounds," Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy said.
"It is two teams that fight to the wire. We are evenly matched in a lot of ways and we make more mistakes and give them a lot of opportunities."
NBA results on Tuesday
ATLANTA 89 New Orleans 79
DETROIT 98 Orlando
94
MIAMI 130
Chicago 127 (OT)
Washington 110 MINNESOTA 99
Houston 97
DENVER 95
PORTLAND 111 LA Lakers 94