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Wallace's late flurry sparks Pistons past Grizzlies

Nov 5, 2006 - 3:21 AM AUBURN HILLS, Michigan (Ticker) -- Rasheed Wallace is quickly making amends for his latest ejection.

Wallace scored 10 of his 15 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Detroit Pistons to a 95-86 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies.

Perennially among the league leaders in technical fouls, Wallace went scoreless and was ejected in Wednesday's 105-97 home loss to Milwaukee, a rare defeat for a team that went 37-4 on its home floor last season.

The All-Star forward bounced back with 18 points and nine rebounds in Friday night's victory at Boston and came up huge when it counted against the Grizzlies.

After Memphis had erased an eight-point deficit to draw even at 81-81 with 5:18 left, Wallace scored six points, including a 17-foot turnaround jumper that just beat the shot clock and extended Detroit's lead to 93-84 with 1:04 remaining.

"Tonight Sheed (Wallace) got it going late and we played off of him," Pistons coach Flip Saunders said. "He made plays. That's what you have to be able to do."

Wallace, who did pick up a technical just 12 seconds into the final quarter, was 7-of-9 from the field and pulled down 13 rebounds.

Richard Hamilton also helped repel repeated rallies by the Grizzlies, scoring 10 of his 24 points in the final quarter.

The Pistons shot 51 percent (37-of-73) from the floor.

"They went to their main guys down the stretch - as they should," Grizzlies coach Mike Fratello said. "Hamilton made 4-of-5 during one stretch, and Rasheed was hot at the end and made some shots fall over the top. They made shots.

"We had some key turnovers and some misses at the foul line, but that's a good team and we played them nose-to-nose for a good part of the game. I was proud of the way the guys battled."

Trailing, 70-62, entering the fourth quarter, the Grizzlies went to a smaller lineup and rallied behind Mike Miller and rookie Rudy Gay to tie it at 81-81. But Hamilton and Wallace split Detroit's next 12 points as the Pistons pulled away.

"That small-ball stuff don't work with us," Wallace said. "Anybody who knows basketball knows that. Our big guys are agile enough to guard their small forwards and small (centers), and at the other end, even if they front us, it's just basic basketball - high-low. We can take the shot over them or drive the baseline."

Point guard Chauncey Billups said the Pistons' experience was the difference.

"When it's winning time - the last six to eight minutes - it was like everybody locked in," Billups said. "That's the sign of a veteran team that's been together."

Hakim Warrick scored 21 points and Chucky Atkins added 19 for Memphis, which shot just 38 percent (28-of-74).

Second-year forward Jason Maxiell scored a career-high 13 points for Detroit, as did center Nazr Mohammed, including 12 in the opening quarter.