Auburn Hills, MI (Best E Casino) - Richard Hamilton scored 31 points, and Tayshaun Prince came up with a crucial block in the closing seconds, as the Pistons moved into the Eastern Conference finals for a sixth straight year by holding on for a 91-86 victory over the Orlando Magic. The Pistons, who won the semifinal series by a 4-1 margin, will face either Boston or Cleveland in the next round. The Celtics and Cavaliers are even with Game 5 scheduled for Wednesday in Boston. Antonio McDyess scored eight of his 17 points during a huge run in the fourth quarter and totaled 11 rebounds for Detroit, which is the first team since the 1984-89 Los Angeles Lakers to reach six straight conference finals. The Pistons won despite playing without guard Chauncey Billups, who missed his second straight contest due to a strained right hamstring. Rodney Stuckey, Billups' replacement, had 15 points and six assists. Rasheed Wallace contributed 14 points, while Prince had 10 for Detroit, which won despite shooting 36.1 percent from the field. Hedo Turkoglu scored 18 for the Magic, while Dwight Howard ended with 14 points and 17 rebounds. Rashard Lewis and Jameer Nelson also had 14 points apiece.

Final Score: New Orleans 101, San Antonio 79

New Orleans, LA (Best E Casino) - David West had career playoff-highs of 38 points and 14 rebounds, and the New Orleans Hornets continued their success at home with a 101-79 win over San Antonio, pushing ahead after five games of their Western Conference semifinal series. Chris Paul added 22 points and 14 assists for the Hornets, who hold a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series with Game 6 scheduled for Thursday in San Antonio. West, who shot 16-of-25 from the field, also had five assists and five blocked shots. The Hornets are one win away from advancing past second round for first time in franchise history. Morris Peterson tallied 12 points and Jannero Pargo 10 for New Orleans, which had just six turnovers. The Hornets are 6-0 at home in the playoffs this year. Hornets center Tyson Chandler had to be helped to the bench with 8:47 left in the fourth quarter after hurting his left foot. He didn't return. Manu Ginobili scored 20 points and dished out seven assists for the Spurs. Tim Duncan finished with 10 points and 23 rebounds, but was hurt by a 5-for-18 performance from the field. Tony Parker scored 18 and Bruce Bowen 10 in defeat. The home team has won every game in this series, and Tuesday brought a carbon copy of the first two games, when the Hornets won by 19 and 18 points, respectively.