The Detroit Pistons are imposing their style on the Orlando Magic. As a result, Detroit is on the verge of eliminating Orlando in the Eastern Conference semifinals despite not having injured point guard Chauncey Billups. The all-star didn't play Saturday and is again “questionable” heading into Tuesday’s Game 5 at the Palace of Auburn Hills.

However, Tayshaun Prince assumed Billups' fourth-quarter, go-to role by making an 11-foot floating hook shot over 6-foot-11 Dwight Howard to give the Pistons the 90-89 lead with 8.9 seconds left.

A 2-2 series tie, though, and a watershed Magic moment still were possible. The Magic handed the game over to their season-long closer, Hedo Turkoglu. But Turk missed a layup attempt and Howard couldn't retrieve a rebound as Billups merrily limped around in celebration.

The Pistons have long showed that they know how to win at closing time, while the Magic are learning painful lessons.

It wasn't just Turk's shot that wouldn't fall. Billups' counterpart, co-captain and point guard Jameer Nelson, had an opportunity to provide the Magic with a two-point lead before Prince's heroics, but made just one of two free throws with 44.8 seconds left.

Nelson was 2-of-6 from the line, while Howard struggled on 3-of-12 shooting to finish with just eight points.

Still, the Magic's demise could be traced to early in the third quarter.

The Pistons applied their trademark suffocating defense, bedeviling Howard, who, incredibly, had no field goals the last three periods. They erased the Magic's 15-point lead with a 15-0 run to salvage a 70-70 tie heading into the final period. They held Orlando scoreless for about seven minutes.

With the Magic unable to slow the Pistons' roll, Detroit turned the proceedings into a half-court slugfest that frustrates Orlando, as it did in the opener.

The Pistons swarmed for extra shots, dominating in second-chance points, 18-5, and shut down the Magic's running game.

Even without Billups, Detroit has enough experience and firepower to win close games. Veteran Lindsey Hunter, 37, stepped in for Billups down the stretch to relieve rookie Rodney Stuckey. Rip Hamilton provided 32 points, while Prince added 17 and Rasheed Wallace 16.

Turkoglu paced the Magic with 20 points and Lewis, Mo Evans and Nelson each added 15.

To bring this series back to Orlando for a Game 6 on Thursday night, the Magic will have to stop a seven-game playoff losing streak at Detroit's place. Their last postseason win at the Palace was Game 2 of a first-round matchup on April 20, 2003.

Orlando set a club record with 27 road victories this season, including one at the Palace on Feb. 20. However, the Magic lost the first two games of this series on the road, a 91-72 setback in Game 1 and a 100-93 loss in Game 2. The Magic failed to cover the spread on each occasion, with the first game sliding ‘under’ the total and the second game leaping ‘over.’

Detroit is 38-8 SU and 30-16 ATS in its first 46 home games, with the ‘under’ going 25-19-2. The Pistons are outscoring the opposition by an average of 99-88 at the Palace of Auburn Hills.

Orlando is 28-17 both SU and ATS in its first 45 road encounters, with the ‘under’ going 24-20-1. The Magic are outscoring the opposition on the road by an average of 103-100.

Unless the Magic can play their brand of basketball like they did in a Game 3 victory — a fast-paced, free-flowing, 3-point shooting festival — they could be starting their summer vacations.

May 13, 2008