Big Shot Billups helps dump Cavs

Detroit won 87-71 in a rematch of last year's conference semifinals.
CLEVELAND (AP) -- Chauncey Billups made his first three shots of the fourth quarter, leading the Detroit Pistons to an 87-71 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday night in the first matchup between the clubs since last season's playoffs.
Detroit's Mr. Big Shot, Billups, who was just 1-of-9 from the floor after three quarters, dropped three jumpers -- two of them 3-pointers -- in the first 3:02 of the fourth as the Pistons went on a 14-3 run to open a 71-58 lead with 8:19 left.
Billups scored 17 points, including 12 in the fourth, and added 10 assists.
Tayshaun Prince had 15 points and Antonio McDyess added a season-high 11 points and 11 rebounds for the Pistons, who overwhelmed the Cavs in the final period, outscoring them 30-16 and holding them to 3-of-16 shooting.
LeBron James had 26 points and Zydrunas Ilgauskas 16 for the Cavaliers, who dropped to 11-3 at home this season.
History lesson
In last season's second round, Cleveland won three straight over Detroit and had a chance to close out the Pistons in Game 6 but couldn't come up with an offensive rebound in the closing seconds.
The Cavs then lost Game 7 in Auburn Hills, Mich., when the Pistons dominated the second half in a 79-61 win.
This one followed a similar script as the Pistons made the big shots, tightened their defense and showed the Cavs why they're still one of the NBA's most feared teams.
After Billups' second 3 put the Pistons up 69-58 with 8:58 remaining, he whipped a behind-the-back bounce pass to Jason Maxiell, whose baseline jumper put Detroit ahead by 13, forced a timeout by Cleveland and sent Detroit's bench bounding onto the floor for high-fives and chest bumps.
Meanwhile, the Cavaliers couldn't do anything against Detroit's defense, which locked down on James, forcing Cleveland's other players to step up. None of them could.
Fourth quarter flurry
Leading 57-55 after three, the Pistons made seven of their first eight shots to open the fourth, a flurry that left the Cavaliers dazed and stunned a sellout crowd of 20,562 fans.
Neither team could get anything going on offense in a third quarter of quintessential Eastern Conference ball. The Pistons outscored the Cavs 15-14 to take their two-point lead entering the final 12 minutes.
The lone highlight for Cleveland came on an alley-oop dunk by a trailing James, who one-handed a pass from Eric Snow and rocketed it through the rim.
James had a little extra bounce in his step from the outset. He scored 12 points -- eight straight in the final 2:24 -- and went 6-of-7 from the floor in the first quarter as the Cavaliers took a 24-22 lead.
It was a far cry from his postseason exit in May when the Pistons shut him down in the second half of Game 7, holding him to two points on 1-of-9 shooting.
Detroit did a better job defensively on James in the second, limiting him to just two shots while holding Cleveland to 17 points and taking a 42-41 halftime lead.
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