Pistons stop Raptors 90-86 in overtime
(Agencies)
Updated: 2004-12-09 14:33

Richard Hamilton scored six of his 19 points in overtime as the Detroit Pistons held off the Toronto Raptors 90-86 on Wednesday night.

Rasheed Wallace added 16 points, while Ben Wallace had 15 points, 16 rebounds and six blocks for the Pistons, blew a 12-point fourth-quarter lead, but recovered to win their third straight.

Detroit Pistons' Tayshaun Prince shoots over Toronto Raptors' Vince Carter (15) in the first half Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2004, in Auburn Hills, Mich. [AP]

Toronto lost Vince Carter to a strained left Achilles' tendon in the opening minute of the second half. Carter was driving along the baseline when he pulled up and fell near Pistons owner Bill Davidson's seat. He was helped to the locker room and didn't return.

Carter's status for Toronto's game against Denver on Friday night was not immediately known.

The game was played a few hours after five Indiana Pacers and seven fans were charged in the melee that broke out at the end of a nationally televised game at Detroit on Nov. 19, one of the worst brawls in U.S. sports history.

Wednesday's game was tied at 75 with less than four minutes to play when Donyell Marshall finished off a big run for the Raptors with a 3-pointer. Ben Wallace broke the Pistons' six-minute scoreless streak with a free throw, but Jalen Rose increased the Raptors' lead to four with two shots from the line.

After two more free throws by Wallace, Hamilton's short jumper tied it at 80 with 1:29 to go. Those were the only points scored by a Pistons player other than Wallace in the fourth.

Rasheed Wallace had a chance to win at the buzzer, but his 3-pointer bounced off the rim.

Hamilton, though, scored on three of Detroit's first five possessions in overtime, and the Pistons' defense did the rest.

Marshall led all scorers with 22, and Rose added 16.

Detroit trailed for much of the first half, but scored the final eight points to take a 38-37 lead into intermission.

Even without Carter, the Raptors stayed close early in the third quarter, but Detroit began to pull away as the period progressed.

Toronto went scoreless for nearly three minutes during one stretch, allowing the Pistons to increase their lead to 61-50, and led 69-58 at period's end.

Milt Palacio, though, had six points in the Raptors' run that tied the game with 5:03 left.

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