Sixers Blast Pistons to Take 2-1 Series Lead

Samuel Dalembert also came up big for the Sixers, notching a 22-point, 16-rebound double-double.

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PHILADELPHIA - With solid contributions from their role players and too many miscues on the part of their opponents, the 76ers showed once more that they're not rolling over for the favored Pistons, shocking them 95-75 on Friday night to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round series.

Reserve forward Reggie Evans again fired up the Sixers, scoring nine points, grabbing five rebounds and providing a momentum-shifting spark for Philadelphia for the third straight game. The former Iowa Hawkeye did his best work in harassing the Pistons' own momentum man, Rasheed Wallace, helping to hold him to two points on the night.

Samuel Dalembert also came up big for the Sixers, notching a 22-point, 16-rebound double-double and helping to hold Detroit to just two buckets throughout the third quarter. Andre Miller added 21 points.

The Pistons trailed by just four at intermission despite turning over the ball 12 times. If the first half was sloppy for Detroit, the second got downright ugly. Top-scorer Richard Hamilton sat out big minutes in the third and fourth quarters with foul trouble, Antonio McDyess was lost halfway through the third quarter with a broken nose and Wallace never got his motor going. To make things worse for Detroit, its usually reliable bench added little to the good.

Hamilton finished with 23 points and Tayshaun Prince had 18 as Detroit made just 22 percent of its field goals in the second half and racking up 23 turnovers to its 27 total field goals.

Trailing for the second time in the series, the Pistons will look to even the score in Philadelphia in Sunday's Game 4. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. ET on TNT.

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