• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Webber helps red-hot Pistons blast Magic

Feb 22, 2007 - 5:38 AM AUBURN HILLS, Michigan (Ticker) -- Chris Webber would not let a poke to the eye slow him down.

Webber scored 16 of his 18 points in the second half as the Detroit Pistons rolled to a 110-88 triumph over the slumping Orlando Magic.

Richard Hamilton netted 18 points and Chauncey Billups collected 17 and seven assists for the Pistons, who have won five straight meetings against the Magic at the Palace.

"We had good play from a lot of people," Detroit coach Flip Saunders said. "That's what we're trying to get as a team. We want to create that balance-type situation. I think when you have a multi-dimensional attack it can make it very difficult to defend."

Just seconds into the matchup, Webber was accidentally raked across the eye by Orlando All-Star Dwight Howard. Webber briefly left for the locker room before returning midway in the period.

"Chris came back strong after having a scrape on his eye," Saunders said. "When you went off somebody, all of a sudden Chris goes for six or eight straight."

In the second quarter, Detroit held a 48-38 edge with just under five minutes left before using a 14-5 surge to end the first half with a 62-43 lead.

The Magic were outscored, 31-16, in the second period.

"I don't know if it was them turning the defense up (in the second), but I know that missing 15 free throws in the first half didn't help," Orlando coach Brian Hill.

A Detroit native, Webber connected on 6-of-7 shots in the third period, helping the Pistons create a commanding 91-65 bulge heading into the final 12 minutes.

"We came out in the third quarter and stayed on them," Billups said. "That's what you have to do. When you get a team down, we have to keep playing the same way and keep them down."

The Pistons have won nine of their last 10 games overall.

Howard had 26 points and 15 rebounds and Jameer Nelson chipped in 14 for Orlando, which committed 22 turnovers and fell to 3-6 in February.

"I don't want to lose to anyone like we did," Howard said. "It feels bad when you get beat as bad as we did. They beat us in every way possible. We can't let that happen every night."

"We were beaten in all facets of the game," Hill said. "That's about all I have to say about it."