Through three quarters, Chauncey Billups hadn’t made a shot. So he kept on shooting in the fourth.
It all worked out fine for him and the Detroit Pistons, who have won nine straight after beating the Atlanta Hawks 94-90 Tuesday night.
Billups scored 10 straight points, and saved his biggest shot for last, making a jumper over Anthony Johnson with 22 seconds remaining.
“That’s what type of player he is,” Atlanta’s Josh Smith said. “His nickname is ‘Mr. Big Shot.’ In the clutch, everybody knows he’s going to take the shot.”
Rasheed Wallace carried the load in the early going, scoring 15 straight points for the Pistons in the first quarter on his way to a 21-point night. The Hawks lost their third in a row despite 30 points from Smith.
Billups, who scored 12 of his 16 points in the fourth, went into the final quarter at 0-for-8 from the field. He was undaunted.
“You know me, man, you know me,” Billups said. “Late in games, if I have an opportunity I’m going to take advantage of that, whether I’m hot or not. I always feel like that fourth quarter is a different game.”
ith was fouled but made only one free throw. Richard Hamilton did what Smith couldn’t, hitting both foul shots with 14 seconds left to seal the win.
In other NBA games Tuesday night, it was: Boston 104, Indianapolis 97; New Jersey 92, Minnesota 88; Denver 114, Miami 113 in overtime; and New Orleans 100, Chicago 86.
The Hawks were held to 3-of-19 shooting in the fourth by the gritty Pistons, who let an early 15-point lead slip away but rebounded at the end.
“We had good looks,” Atlanta coach Mike Woodson said. “We just couldn’t get the ball to go down.”
Atlanta closed to 55-48 by halftime, and kept up the momentum in the third as the visitors turned cold.
“If we had played the whole game like we did in the second half, things would have been different,” said rookie Al Horford, who had 16 rebounds to lead the Hawks to a 47-34 lead on the boards.
The Pistons went nearly 6 minutes without a field goal, allowing the Hawks to surge ahead on Horford’s three-point play midway through the third. The rookie pumped his fist after being fouled, then stepped to the line and swished the free throw.
Celtics 104, Pacers 97
Paul Pierce had 28 points and 12 rebounds, and short-handed Boston won its fourth straight game.
Ray Allen scored 23 and Leon Powe added 16 points and nine rebounds for the visiting Celtics, who were playing without injured starters Kevin Garnett and Kendrick Perkins.
Danny Granger had 18 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks, and Shawne Williams scored 14 for the Pacers, who were missing Jermaine O’Neal and Jamaal Tinsley.
Nets 92, Timberwolves 88
Bostjan Nachbar scored 10 of his 14 points in a decisive second-half spurt for host New Jersey.
Vince Carter added 17 points and 10 assists and Jason Kidd had nine points, nine assists and 10 rebounds in just missing his 100th triple-double. Richard Jefferson added 13 points and 12 rebounds as the Nets won their third straight game.
Sebastian Telfair scored 24 points and Al Jefferson added 16 points and 11 rebounds for the Timberwolves, who lost for the 23rd time in 25 road games this season.
Nuggets 114, Heat 113, OT
J.R. Smith made a career-best eight 3-pointers and scored 28 points, Kenyon Martin added 24, and visiting Denver won its third straight. Carmelo Anthony scored six of his 22 points in overtime for the Nuggets.
Dwyane Wade scored a game-high 29 points, but missed a 22-footer at the buzzer for Miami – which has lost eight straight and 23 of its last 24 games.
Grizzlies 107, Kings 94
Hakim Warrick had 24 points and 13 rebounds – both season-high totals – to help host Memphis snap a six-game losing streak and win for the first time since trading Pau Gasol to the Lakers on Feb. 1.
The Grizzlies were 0-4 since Gasol’s departure. Rudy Gay added 21 points for Memphis, reserve Juan Carlos Navarro scored 19 and Mike Miller finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds.
Kevin Martin scored 26 of his 33 points in the first half for Sacramento, and Ron Artest and Mike Bibby each had 18.
Hornets 100, Bulls 86
Chris Paul had 25 points and 14 assists to help send host Chicago to its sixth loss in nine games.
David West added 27 points for the Hornets and Tyson Chandler, who played five seasons for the Bulls before being traded before the 2006-07 season, was booed throughout the game and scored four points and had 16 rebounds.
Andres Nocioni led Chicago with 28 points.
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