The good news? Game 4 is three days removed from Game 3. The bad news? The Pistons might need three weeks to get Chauncey Billups right. Insult was heaped upon injury in Orlando on Wednesday night, the Pistons floundering from the start and losing their All-Star point guard less than four minutes into the game with a hamstring injury that appeared ominous from Billups’ gingerly gait as he limped to the locker room. Orlando took a 16-2 lead as the Pistons shot 1 of 12 to start a disastrous night. The Pistons rallied, cutting the lead to three late in the third quarter, but an 11-0 Orlando run to start the fourth quarter quashed any comeback dreams. Compounding the loss of Billups was a foul-plagued and frustrated night for Rasheed Wallace, limited to 28 minutes in an 11-point, four-rebound performance on 4 of 15 shooting.

FLIP SAUNDERS ON BILLUPS: “We’re shooting for him to play on Saturday, to be honest. He’s sore right now, but … we won’t know for the next 24 hours to see where he’s really at. But all indications are that we’re shooting for him to play on Saturday.”

ORLANDO COACH STAN VAN GUNDY: “The two biggest factors in the game were our start and Chauncey’s injury. You can’t negate that. He’s not only a great player, he’s their leader; he runs everything. I think Rodney Stuckey is a terrific young player and did a hell of a job today, but Chauncey Billups is their guy and it definitely had a huge effect on the game.”

The Pistons could have had the lead into single digits – maybe well into single digits – by halftime despite the Billups injury and the 18-point hole they dug for themselves if not for Lewis’ sizzling first half. Lewis shot 7 of 8, including both of his 3-point tries, in an 18-point first half. He made two huge baskets in the second half, a triple late in the third quarter to stem Pistons momentum and another to open the fourth, and finished with a playoff career-best 33 points, shooting 11 of 15 overall and 5 of 6 from the 3-point line. He added six rebounds and five assists.

SAUNDERS: “I thought Lewis was great tonight. He caused us a lot of problems with regards to making threes and timing the transition and being able to isolate to take us off the dribble.”

LEWIS: “I hadn’t been shooting the 3 ball well ever since the playoffs started. It was able to fall tonight. At the same time, my shot’s been feeling good the whole time. Just hasn’t been going in. But shooters don’t quit shooting and I didn’t want to think twice about it.”

With Billups out and the guard rotation short, there was no rest for Hamilton and Prince. OK, not much. Hamilton sat out three seconds until Saunders mercifully took him out for a quick breather midway through the fourth quarter and then yanked him for good with a little more than two minutes to play. But he still played 44:21 and led the Pistons with 24 points, grabbing six rebounds, as well. Prince played 40:38, scoring 22 points and grabbing seven rebounds.

PRINCE: “Obviously, the first quarter was our downfall. More importantly our guys fought back. Our young guys came in gave us some help with Chauncey out. Going into next game we really have to get off to a good start.”

Nothing the Pistons could have done about it once the lineup was handed in 90 minutes before the game, but they could have used either Lindsey Hunter or Juan Dixon in uniform instead of street clothes. Dixon might be the choice going forward because without Billups, the Pistons could use some perimeter shooting and backcourt scoring punch. If the Pistons decide they need both Hunter or Dixon because of the different traits they offer, that would trigger another decision – whether to keep Hayes or Herrmann active.


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