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Confident Magic aim to stave off elimination

May 13, 2008 - 12:37 PM Orlando at Detroit 7:00 pm EDT Eastern Conference semifinals Pistons lead, 3-1

AUBURN HILLS, Michigan (Ticker) - Jameer Nelson and the Orlando Magic think their due for a win against the Detroit Pistons and are not afraid to let everyone know.

Nelson and the Magic aim to stay alive against the Pistons in Game Five of their Eastern Conference semifinals series Tuesday.

Orlando's fourth-year point guard, Nelson was confident his team would bounce back after blowing a 15-point, third-quarter lead en route to a crushing 90-89 loss to Detroit at home in Game Four on Saturday.

It was an especially impressive win for the Pistons, who were victorious despite the absence of All-Star point guard Chauncey Billups, who sat out with a strained right hamstring. He's questionable for Game Five.

Tayshaun Prince hit the game-winning shot in the waning seconds. The ball had barely gone through the net before Nelson was ready to talk about Tuesday's contest.

"You know what, we're going to make some adjustments and we're going to go (to Detroit) and win this game," said Nelson, whose team trails the best-of-seven matchup, 3-1. "I'm not trying to be arrogant or cocky or anything like that.

"But tonight, we let it slip out of our hands, Game Two we let slip our of our hands. And we're going to win this game in Detroit."

There have been a lot of missed opportunities in the series for the Magic, who shot just 25 percent in the fourth quarter of Game Two as the Pistons pulled out a 100-93 victory on May 5.

To keep their season alive, the Magic will need better production out of superstar Dwight Howard, who scored just eight points on 3-of-12 shooting. Howard also had 12 rebounds in 45 minutes.

The Pistons, for their part, have received an increased contribution from guard Richard Hamilton, who scored 32 points on Saturday. He even engaged in a fourth-quarter scoring duel with Magic forward Hedo Turkoglu, who scored 13 points in the final period.

But Turkoglu eventually missed the potential game-winning layup on the final possession of Game Four, which was a microcosm of Orlando's series - so close, but yet so far away.

If the Magic win, Game Six would be Thursday in Orlando.