NBA Roundup | Detroit handles Spurs, avoids a 3-game skid

SAN ANTONIO — The Detroit Pistons were facing a game that, if lost, would have given them their longest losing streak of the season.

Even if that had happened — and it didn't — Rasheed Wallace wasn't going to let it get him down.

"We could lose five or six games in a row, but we're the type of team, we don't hang our heads and walk around moping," said Wallace, who had 23 points and 15 rebounds to carry Detroit to a 90-80 victory Thursday night over the San Antonio Spurs.

Detroit snapped a two-game losing streak, and handed the Spurs their second loss in a row and third of the season at home.

The Pistons bounced back from a loss in Dallas on Wednesday night, keeping the Spurs at bay beginning with a burst late in the first quarter and eventually going up by as many as 20 points.

Richard Hamilton scored 18 points for Detroit, and Tayshaun Prince added 17.

Tim Duncan had 24 points and 15 rebounds for San Antonio, and Tony Parker added 12 points as he struggled from the field, going 4 of 13.

And with the losing streak behind his team, Wallace couldn't help looking forward.

"This is a good team. I think, in my opinion, this is one of the teams we'll see in the Finals," Wallace said. "So, it's always a good game with us and San Antonio."

But the marquee matchup between the defending champion Spurs, who on Thursday fell from second to a tie for third in the West, and the 2004 champion Pistons, second in the East, looked more like a dud for most of the night.

Not only were the Spurs having trouble creating offense, partly because they couldn't hold on to the ball and committed 15 turnovers, they weren't getting stops, either.

"It's not even the turnovers," Duncan said. "It's just everything: The missed shots, the turnovers, the turnovers turn into easy baskets, us working hard and them getting an easy play at the other end. Just all of that came at once tonight."

The Pistons had their way with San Antonio nearly every trip down the court. Whether cutting to the basket or hitting long jumpers and a few threes, Detroit built its lead to as many as 20 points. The Pistons kept the lead for good after going ahead 16-15 with 3:30 left in the first quarter.

The Spurs were down nine with a quarter to play after closing in during the third, but Detroit built the lead back up to 14.

Notes

• Phoenix G Steve Nash was out with the flu and F Shawn Marion missed the Suns' game in Utah because of a bruised elbow. The Jazz also was short-handed. F Matt Harpring was not with the team because his wife was in labor, and F Andrei Kirilenko (back) missed his third straight game.

• Isiah Thomas avoided an NBA suspension, even though the league said there was contact between the New York Knicks coach and the official who threw him out of a game. The league ruled the contact wasn't initiated by Thomas, but accidentally created by official Eric Lewis while he was ejecting Thomas from Wednesday's game against Houston.

• The Cleveland Cavaliers said F Anderson Varejao has a left knee bruise and left Achilles strain, making his playing status questionable for tonight's game in Cleveland against Charlotte.