NBA Playoffs | 76ers take lead over Pistons

PHILADELPHIA — The 76ers fans tossed confetti in the air and celebrated a series lead they could have never believed the home team would hold.

The Sixers added one more surprise victory in a season stuffed with them. The win wasn't the shocker — it was the way Philadelphia completely thrashed the playoff-tested Detroit Pistons in Game 3 that was the stunner.

Andre Miller was spot on with his mid-range jumper and scored 21 points, and the rest of the Sixers ran all over the court in a dominating 95-75 victory Friday night to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round series.

Samuel Dalembert had 22 points and 16 rebounds, and the Sixers led by as many as 24 points in their first home playoff game since 2005.

"It didn't look like we had any jitters at all," Sixers coach Maurice Cheeks said.

Philadelphia had no reason for nerves from start to finish. The Sixers proved their Game 1 victory was no fluke, doing everything Detroit normally did on the way to five straight trips to the Eastern Conference finals: Hit clutch shots, never lost composure and kept the pressure on all game to never let the Pistons go on a serious run.

"They're not supposed to be where they're at," Pistons guard Chauncey Billups said. "They're up 2-1 against a team nobody thought they could beat. I could understand why they're happy."

Miller had the best all-around game, but he had plenty of help as three others scored in double figures, including Dalembert's double-double.

The Pistons played nothing like a team that won 59 games in the regular season. Perhaps they took the 76ers lightly or maybe one of the most experienced postseason rosters in the league is finally starting to wear down.

Richard Hamilton scored 23 points and Tayshaun Prince had 18. Without them, the Pistons might have lost by 30. Antonio McDyess — who left in the third quarter with a broken nose — Rasheed Wallace and Billups combined for 15 points.

Game 4 is Sunday in Philadelphia, when the Pistons could be without McDyess.

At Dallas 97, New Orleans 87

Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavericks finally made the Hornets look like playoff novices, pestering Chris Paul and David West to go a combined 6 for 30 well into the fourth quarter on the way to a victory in Game 3 that puts Dallas right back into this series.

Nowitzki had 32 points, 19 rebounds and six assists to pull the Mavericks to 2-1. Game 4 is Sunday in Dallas, where the Hornets haven't won since January 1998.

Paul was supposed to change that, the way he has changed everything else this series, becoming the first player ever to have at least 30 points and 10 assists in his first two playoff games. But he never came close to making it three straight, finishing with 16 points on 4-of-18 shooting. He had 10 assists.

West, a fellow All-Star, was 3 of 16 through three quarters. He wound up 6 of 20.

San Antonio 115,

at Phoenix 99

Tony Parker had a career-high 41 points along with 12 assists and the Spurs routed the Suns to take a 3-0 lead in their first-round series.

The defending NBA champion Spurs never trailed in winning their ninth consecutive playoff game and 13th of 14, dating to last season. They can complete the sweep on Sunday in Phoenix. No NBA team has come back from a 3-0 deficit to win a series.

It's the first three-game losing streak for the Suns this season.