Pistons oust Sixers

The defending NBA champions were at their best when it mattered most.

Richard Hamilton scored 10 of his 23 points in the final quarter as the Detroit Pistons followed three lackluster quarters with a dominant fourth and eliminated the Philadelphia 76ers 88-78 Tuesday night in Auburn Hills, Mich., in Game 5 of their first-round series.

“We just didn’t want to let this game slip away,” Hamilton said. “The fourth quarter we always say is our quarter.”

Detroit trailed for much of the game, but went ahead 62-61 when Tayshaun Prince made the first basket of the fourth quarter. An 8-0 run gave the Pistons an 80-69 lead with 4:48 left.

“They seem to flip a switch and turn it up on offense and defense,” Sixers coach Jim O’Brien said. “Championship teams can do that.”

The Pistons will play next against Indiana or Boston.

Allen Iverson scored 34 points for the Sixers.

Pacers 90, Celtics 85

The Pacers are going back home with a chance to finish off Boston.

Jermaine O’Neal scored 19 points and Stephen Jackson hit a big 3-pointer that helped hold off a Celtics comeback and give Indiana a win and a 3-2 lead in their playoff series.

Boston had whittled a 15-point, third-quarter deficit to 2 after Paul Pierce’s 3-pointer made it 80-78 with 4:26 left. A basket by O’Neal made it 82-78 before Pierce sank a jumper. Then Jackson scored the last of his 15 points on a 3-pointer with 2:38 remaining for an 85-80 edge.

Pierce and Dale Davis traded free throws and Marcus Banks cut the lead to 86-83 with a layup with 28 seconds remaining, but the Pacers got the last four points on two free throws each by Anthony Johnson and Reggie Miller.

Around the league

The Washington Wizards suspended forward Kwame Brown for the remainder of the playoffs for conduct detrimental to the team. … Seattle high school standout Martell Webster declared for the NBA draft, but won’t hire an agent. Webster, a 6-foot-7 guard projected as a lottery pick in the June 28 draft, signed a letter of intent with the University of Washington. He can withdraw from the draft before June 21 and not lose his college eligibility. … Pistons fan Bryant Jackson charged with throwing a chair during a fight among players and fans at an NBA game in Auburn Hills, Mich., – one of the worst brawls in U.S. sports history – was sentenced to two years of probation.