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Pistons look to close out Bulls at home in Game Five

May 15, 2007 - 1:21 PM Chicago at Detroit 8:00 pm EDT Eastern Conference Semifinals Pistons lead, 3-1

AUBURN HILLS, Michigan (Ticker) -- With NBA history on their side as well as their own team history, the Detroit Pistons do not intend on giving the Chicago Bulls a glimmer of hope.

The Pistons look to close out their Eastern Conference semifinal series at home on Tuesday after failing to complete a sweep on Sunday.

An NBA team has never won a best-of-seven series after trailing 3-0. In the major sports, just the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs, 1975 New York Islanders and 2004 Boston Red Sox have done it.

Likewise, since 2003, the Pistons are 12-2 in series-clinching games with the only losses coming Sunday and in Game Seven of the 2005 NBA Finals against San Antonio.

Chicago beat Detroit, 102-87 on Sunday to stay alive. This followed a three-game stretch where the Pistons routed Chicago, 95-69 and 108-87 at home in the first two games and turned a 19-point deficit into a seven-point victory in Game Three.

Luol Deng had his best game of the series with 25 points and 13 rebounds - his second straight double-double - and Kirk Hinrich posted his first double-double of the postseason with 19 points and 10 assists on Sunday. Ben Gordon also added 19 points in his best scoring output of the series.

Game Four was the first contest in which the Bulls were able to shoot better than 34 percent, as they converted 49 percent of their attempts (35-for-71). Being able to duplicate this production will greatly assist Chicago's ability to force a possible Game Six back in Chicago.

While Detroit guard Chauncey Billups continued putting up his usual numbers, Richard Hamilton suffered his worst shooting (4-for-12) and lowest scoring performance (11) of the series.