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Villanueva helps Pistons fire past Pacers

Mar 27, 2011 - 3:57 AM Auburn Hills, MI (Sports Network) - Charlie Villanueva scored all 13 of his points in the final quarter, helping Detroit to a 100-88 win over the Pacers.

Richard Hamilton led the way with 23 points for the Pistons, who snapped a three-game skid and beat Indiana for just the second time in the last nine meetings.

Rodney Stuckey added 16 points, while Tayshaun Prince had 13. Greg Monroe chipped in nine points and 13 rebounds in the win.

"If you could ever bottle some of the things that we did tonight we would be very, very competitive, we understand that," Pistons coach John Kuester said. "Again, you're going to have games where you don't understand why your energy is not as high as it was and tonight we had the energy the way I wanted it and that's one thing I think was very impressive."

Brandon Rush scored 19 for the Pacers, who were coming off a 17-point loss at home to Sacramento Friday night. Indiana remains in the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, but now is just a game ahead of the Bobcats. Charlotte won at home over New York Saturday.

A three-pointer from Paul George tied the game at 53 four minutes into the third, but the Pistons then embarked on a 21-3 burst. Hamilton scored 11 in the period and Austin Daye's three-pointer widened Detroit's lead to 74-56 with 2:06 left in the stanza. It was 77-65 moving to the fourth.

A.J. Price's three-ball had the visitors within 86-80 with under five minutes left, but layups from Hamilton and Rodney Stuckey stemmed the tide.

"We just had a poor offensive third quarter, we fought to stay in it in the fourth quarter and Villanueva came in, hadn't played all game or last game, and he was the difference in the game," Pacers coach Frank Vogel said.

Detroit trailed by as many as nine in the first quarter, but Hamilton's circus three-pointer from 51 feet in the waning second gave his team a 26-25 edge after 12 minutes. The hosts led 48-47 at the half.

Game Notes

Tyler Hansbrough scored 16 and Danny Granger 14 for the Pacers...Detroit guard Tracy McGrady missed the game due to a sore back...The Pistons went 8-of-14 from three-point range.