Behind swarming D, Pistons on track for Finals berth

	Rasheed Wallace (11 boards, five blocks) and the Pistons held the Bulls to 34 percent shooting and blocked 10 shots. AP

CHICAGO -- After getting blown out in the first two games of their Eastern Conference playoff series against the Pistons, the Bulls talked about doing all the little things for Thursday night's Game 3.

They were going to hit the boards. They were going to take care of the ball. They were going to close out on Pistons shooters.

It worked for a half. Then the Detroit slumbering giant woke up and showed why it was the East's best team all season, storming back from a 19-point deficit on the road to take an 81-74 victory and a commanding 3-0 series lead.

"When they want to do something out there, they do it," Bulls coach Scott Skiles said. "We have not had a lot of answers. When they want to penetrate to the basket, they do it. When they want to shoot the three, they do it -- even when we are guarding them ... Once it got tight, they turned it up, and we just weren't able to go with them."

Facing a desperate Bulls team and a pumped-up United Center crowd, the Pistons staged a virtual clinic in the second half. They clamped down on defense. They attacked the basket. They started hitting shots from all over.

Tayshaun Prince, Rasheed Wallace, Chauncey Billups, Richard Hamilton. It would be impossible to pick one as the hero, though Prince's 13 points on 6-of-6 shooting in the third quarter alone would give him the edge. But all the key Pistons stepped up and made big plays.

"Our guys are very focused," Hamilton said. "We've been here before and know what it takes to get the job done."

The Pistons' chances of winning the East are suddenly looking very good, regardless of whether they face the Cavs or Nets in the next round. The team just seems to be on a mission. They are getting inspired play from their big men, and Billups does a superb job controlling the flow of the game. Meanwhile, they have the length to zone up and make it extremely difficult for LeBron James or Vince Carter.

Chicago certainly has not been able to get the ball inside consistently all series, and they really struggled in Game 3 after the Pistons went to a zone. When the Bulls tried to shoot over it, they missed over the outstretched arms of Billups, Hamilton or Prince. When they tried to take it inside, they couldn't get it in over the long arms of Rasheed, Chris Webber or Antonio McDyess.

"Their zone kind of rushed us," Bulls forward Luol Deng admitted. "We missed a lot of open looks, shots that we normally would make. But all series they have done a good job challenging shots and making it difficult for us."

Unlike in the Heat series, the Bulls just have not been able to get their drive-and-kick offense in gear against the longer, quicker Detroit defense. Chicago has managed to shoot 32.9 percent, 34.3 percent and 33.7 percent, respectively, over the first three games against the Pistons. During the regular season, Chicago shot 45.7 percent -- good enough to rank 16th among NBA teams.

"When we get in our lockdown mode defensively, we can turn the pressure on and make things difficult," Pistons coach Flip Saunders said.

The Bulls genuinely seem flummoxed by Detroit's dominance, especially since they didn't play that poorly in Game 3. Chicago cleaned up two key areas from the first two games, committing just 14 turnovers while outrebounding the Pistons 60-43.

They also played with greater energy, at least in the first 24 minutes. When Ben Wallace blocked Webber's turnaround baseline shot just before the first quarter horn, it seemed as if the Bulls were ready to get back in the series. Chicago then went on to outscore Detroit 24-10 in the second quarter to take a seemingly comfortable 44-28 lead at the half.

But the Bulls' success proved a mirage in the third quarter, when the Pistons dialed it up and trimmed a 49-30 deficit to 61-60 going into the final quarter. Detroit then continued the barrage in the fourth, with Prince soaring in for a dunk and Rasheed Wallace nailing a big trey. When Billups added another three-ball midway through the fourth, an audible groan went through the crowd.

"Our group, we love the challenge anytime we get 20,000 fans against us," Billups said. "Hearing them boo us or heckle us. We take that as a challenge. We thrive on those situations."

The Pistons certainly did that in Game 3. They took the Bulls' best shot, and responded like a champion. The Cavs and Nets -- and maybe even those teams in the West -- should take notice.