• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Murray helps Pistons top Raptors

Apr 18, 2007 - 3:45 AM AUBURN HILLS, Michigan (Ticker) -- With the Detroit Pistons resting most of their starters, Flip Murray carried the load.

Murray scored 16 points and All-Star Richard Hamilton added 10 of his 12 in the first half as the Pistons rolled to a meaningless 100-84 triumph over the Toronto Raptors.

Carlos Delfino scored 12 points and Lindsay Hunter had eight and a season-high 11 assists for the Pistons, who won their second straight Eastern Conference tile last week and fifth Central Division in six years.

"It was cool, it was fun for us to come out, everybody play, play hard, keep our rhythm and then be able to sit back," Detroit guard Chauncey Billups said.

"I think all the starters pretty much have a rhythm, I think I'm the one that needs a rhythm after that, so I did that," Pistons forward Chris Webber said. "As a team, I think we're ready for the playoffs. I don't care who we play, we're ready."

Third-seeded Toronto (47-34) also rested the majority of its starting lineup in preparation for its first playoff appearance since the 2001-02 campaign after winning the Atlantic Division.

"I think we'll practice," Raptors coach Sam Mitchell said about preparing for the postseason. "I assume we won't go home and do nothing and then just show up to the arena and play. We're going to prepare like how everyone else does."

Detroit outscored Toronto, 38-19, in the second quarter to forge a 61-37 advantage at the break and never looked back.

"I think ... they broke a sweat, we got out and got done," Pistons coach Flip Saunders said. "Defensively, we were good. Offensively, we executed. Got the ball inside, basic plays really moved the ball. We had 21 assists in the first half, so we played unselfish basketball."

The Pistons shot 52 percent (42-of-80) from the floor and held a commanding 40-24 bulge in points in the paint.

Rookie Uros Sloakar scored 18 points off the bench and Morris Peterson had 14 points and 13 rebounds for the Raptors, who shot 39 percent (32-of-82) and made just 3-of-13 3-pointers.

A native of nearby Flint, Peterson limped off the court and was helped to the locker room after hyperextending his right knee. He is listed as day-to-day.

"I just kind of tweaked my knee a little bit," Peterson said. "It's nothing too serious, hopefully. We're going to keep compression on it just to make sure it doesn't swell up but it's fine. I kind of jammed it a little bit. The doctors looked at it and the training staff looked at it."