No NBA team enjoys life on the edge quite like the Detroit Pistons.

Minutes away from witnessing their spectacular season come crashing down Friday night, they stepped up like champions.

They almost always do.

Summoning all their postseason experience and making every big play down the stretch, the Pistons beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 84-82 to even their series and force a decisive Game 7.

"We know what it takes," Detroit's Ben Wallace said. "We've been together a while. We don't panic."

The Pistons' biggest win of 2006 wasn't secure until the final tick of the clock, when a free throw intentionally missed by LeBron James was nearly tipped into the basket by Detroit's Chauncey Billups - another unlucky bounce for the Cavs.

"I got my hand on it, and I almost made the basket for them," Billups said. "When it was in the air, I was like, 'Wow, not like this."'

The series finale will take place on Sunday at The Palace in Auburn Hills, Mich., where until Game 5 of this series, the Pistons had looked invincible. Before the closing minutes in Game 6, it appeared Detroit might be headed home for good.

Rasheed Wallace, whose Game 4 prediction of a victory and quick end to the series backfired, scored 24 points, Richard Hamilton had 17 and Billups 15 for the Pistons, who grabbed several key offensive rebounds in the final minutes to deny the Cavaliers a trip to the Eastern Conference finals against Miami.

James finished with 32 points, 11 rebounds and five assists. But Cleveland's superstar had seven turnovers and he and his teammates weren't able to beat the Pistons to loose balls in the final three minutes.

The underdog Cavaliers, who had won three straight in the series, missed a chance to put away the Pistons and now have to come up with another win in the NBA's toughest arena.

"Nobody thought we would be here," James said. "Nobody thought we'd be in a Game 7 against the Pistons. We proved the doubters wrong. We have to prove some more wrong."

Detroit has made a habit of winning Game 6s with its season on the line.

Last year, the Pistons were down 3-2 in the conference finals before rallying to beat Miami in seven games. In 2004, they won Game 6 at New Jersey and then ousted the Nets in Game 7. A year earlier, Detroit won a Game 6 at Orlando and then ended the Magic's season in the next game.

Rasheed Wallace, who has spent the series talking trash, has no regrets about any bold statements or guarantees.

"I can't always be right," he said. "I've got the confidence that we can go out there and whoop up on some people."

Trailing 77-76 after two free throws by James, Wallace flung up a shot off the glass in the lane and was fouled, and his three-point play gave the Pistons a lead they would never let go.

After James was stripped on a spin in the foul lane, Billups hit a jumper from the top of the key as the 24-second shot clock expired, giving Detroit an 81-77 lead with 2:21 remaining.

James, driving to the hoop every chance he could, made four straight free throws to pull the Cavaliers within 83-81 with 1:04 left. Wallace missed a jumper, but Tayshaun Prince tipped the ball to Hamilton, allowing the Pistons to kill more time.

Wallace missed again, but Hamilton ran down the long rebound in the corner before the Cavs fouled Wallace.

Detroit's motor-mouthed forward missed both free throws, but Cleveland's Flip Murray couldn't corral the rebound and Billups was put on the line. He split a pair with 10.1 seconds left, giving the Cavaliers a final chance.

With his team needing a 3-pointer to tie, Cleveland coach Mike Brown screamed for his team to call a timeout, but before the Cavs could, James was fouled with 1.4 seconds to play. James, who went 15-of-18 from the line, swished the first.

He pushed the second one left on purpose and Zydrunas Ilgauskas - with an unlikely assist from Billups - nearly got a miraculous bounce off the top of the glass.

When it didn't drop, the Pistons charged off the bench and for the first time in days, could crack a few smiles.

"Cleveland did something that no one did all year," Rasheed Wallace said. "They beat us three in a row. We damn sure couldn't make it four straight."

The Cavaliers welcomed back guard Larry Hughes, who had missed three games following the death of his younger brother, Justin.

After talking it over with his mother, Hughes decided late Thursday night to further honor his brother by going to Game 6.

"She wanted me to do what he would have wanted," said Hughes, who in the days following his brother's death had two teardrop tattoos inked under his left eye. "I'm basically here to help. I'm not here to disrupt anything."

Hughes was activated and dressed but didn't play.

He gave James an extra long hug before the opening tip, whispering something into his teammate's ear.

Notes

James can sign a five-year contract extension worth about $75 million this summer, and all signs indicate he'll do so once the Cavaliers present one to him on or after July 1. "I'm really happy right now with what's going on," he said. "I love my teammates and the coaching staff. We'll see what happens." ... James received his All-Star game MVP trophy on Thursday. It was damaged during shipping in February and had to be repaired. ... Rasheed Wallace, who sprained his right ankle in the Game 4 he "Guaran-Sheed," rode a stationary bike in the tunnel during the first quarter to try and stay loose. ... The Cavaliers are 2-0 in Game 7s, winning the 1992 conference semifinals over Boston and the 1976 semifinals over Washington, a series dubbed "The Miracle of Richfield." ... It was the third straight game decided by two points, and the Cavaliers had won five in a row during the postseason by two points or less.

Wonder how many of those guys still have jobs.

One who might have undervalued Prince is certainly still employed. His coach, Flip Saunders, said he never would have expected to see what Prince has become - one of the most consistent and versatile players in the league, a player who might prove to be the X-factor in the Pistons' first-round series against the Milwaukee Bucks.

"I think everyone thought he had the opportunity to be a good player," Saunders said. "I thought he was a good player when I came here, but I never understood how good he was until I saw him day in and day out. His commitment to the game, his commitment to the team, and just how versatile he is."

Prince set an NBA record by playing more playoff games - 63 - in his first three seasons than any other player in league history. Now in his fourth season, he has a few other streaks running, too.

Since his rookie season, when former coach Rick Carlisle didn't give him quality time until late in the year, Prince has not missed a game.

And though he's wiry, Prince has never missed a game because of injury, not as far back as he can remember.

"I never missed a game in college, either," he said.

Prince played all 82 regular-season games in the last three seasons, as well as the 64 playoff games in that time, too.

And what you see from him in each one of those 310 games might be a little different from the game before it.

Prince, a 6-foot-9, 215-pound small forward, can do so much that coaches can give him a new role for each game.

"He's a guy that does everything good and is willing to accept whatever role you put in his hands," Saunders said, "and he accepts that role very graciously and goes about doing his work."

In the case of the playoffs, that role changes each series.

In this series, with 6-foot-11 small forward Toni Kukoc out for the time being with back spasms, the Bucks are left with no good option to match up with Prince's lankiness, explosive speed and play-making strength inside.

When Bucks coach Terry Stotts puts Bobby Simmons on Prince, Prince can use his athleticism and speed to get open for outside shots. When smaller guards like T.J. Ford or Michael Redd switch onto Prince, he heads inside to use his size to post up.

In the Pistons' 92-74 victory Sunday in Game 1, Price had 15 points, eight rebounds, three assists and two blocks in a team-high 41 minutes.

"It really is a luxury to have Tayshaun because he is a matchup problem for any team, really," said point guard Chauncey Billups. "Any team that has a guy as tall as he is, they're never as fast and as mobile as he is. And any team that has a smaller guy, he's a great post-up player and he makes plays. He doesn't just score in the post; he makes the right passes at the right times."

It's nothing new for the Pistons, but with four other All-Stars in the lineup, it's something that sometimes goes underappreciated.

What Prince never fails to appreciate is his role, no matter how big or small it is.

"All season long and since I've been here, my part of this team is to do whatever the team needs me to do to win," Prince said. "There may be times I have to score. There may be times I have to play defense on certain guys. It just doesn't matter to me."

Prince also takes pride in his durability. Most of the Pistons' starters took a game off to rest for the playoffs, but Prince kept playing.

It makes those pre-draft predictions from four years ago look mighty silly in hindsight.

"I never try to prove anyone wrong as far as my ability, what people have said about me in the past and what-not," Prince said. "I thought the only way to get through it is to just do what I do. That's what I do. I try not to miss games. I try to go out there and help my team."

New Orleans/Oklahoma City is two games behind the eighth-seeded Sacramento Kings for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference, while the Pistons have already clinched first place in the Central Division and the top spot in the Eastern Conference.

The Hornets enter tonight's contest on a three-game winning streak. On Sunday, rookie phenom Chris Paul posted his first career triple-double with 24 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists to lead New Orleans/Oklahoma City past the Toronto Raptors in double-overtime, 120-113, at the Air Canada Centre.

David West netted 23 and pulled down six rebounds, while Speedy Claxton added 10 points and a career-high 12 assists in the win over Toronto for the Hornets.

New Orleans/Oklahoma City is 14-22 as the visitor this season.

Detroit plays the finale of a three-game homestand and attempts to win its fifth straight game. Chauncey Billups scored a game-high 35 points to lead the Pistons back from a 17-point deficit as they edged the Phoenix Suns, 109-102, on Sunday in a battle of first place clubs at The Palace of Auburn Hills.

Tayshaun Prince ended with 23 points and eight rebounds in the win over Phoenix for the Pistons, who have won eight of their last nine games overall. Rasheed Wallace scored 15, while Richard Hamilton finished with 12 points in the victory.

Ben Wallace contributed 11 points and 12 rebounds in Sunday's win for the Pistons

Rasheed Wallace will be on the sidelines tonight as he received an automatic one-game suspension for receiving his 16th technical of the campaign during the victory over the Suns.

The Pistons are an amazing 33-3 at The Palace this season. They have won three in a row at home.

This is the second and final meeting of the campaign between the teams. On January 10th, Hamilton poured in 30 points to pace Detroit to a 96-86 victory over the Hornets at the Ford Center.

The Pistons have won three in a row in this series. The Hornets have lost two straight after winning their last two at Detroit.

After missing 24 games with a torn left groin muscle, Jermaine O'Neal is excited to be back on the court.

O'Neal, in his second game back from the injury, and the Indiana Pacers host the Detroit Pistons, owners of the NBA's best record.

"I'm looking forward to playing against those guys," O'Neal said. "To tell you the truth, I'm looking forward to playing against anybody. I've been out so long."

O'Neal scored 16 points off the bench in his return to action on Wednesday, a 95-85 win over the Chicago Bulls. Indiana had dropped three of its previous four contests.

The Pacers' leading scorer has 16 regular-season games to regain his form before the playoffs start, provided his team reaches them. Indiana is in sixth place in the Eastern Conference, six games ahead of ninth-place Chicago.

"It's essential that we have some time to get him re-integrated into our team," Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. "There's going to be an adjustment here because we've been running a lot more, we've been doing a lot more movement stuff. We're going to have to continue with that but at times the ball is going to have to go through him inside."

Jamaal Tinsley also has returned after missing time with a back injury and sinus infection. Austin Croshere will miss Friday's game because of concussion symptoms, but the Pacers should return to full strength soon.

"Nobody can make excuses now," Pacers guard Stephen Jackson said. "We have everybody back. It's time to go to work and play like we know how."

O'Neal said will use the rest of the regular season to help develop chemistry on the court with his teammates.

"It's not necessarily about getting a rhythm," said O'Neal, who has missed both Pistons games this season. "It's about me and my teammates getting a rhythm together and making a run. We feel like we have something special but we have to put in the work to get to that special level."

The Pistons won their third straight game on Wednesday, coming back from a 12-point deficit to defeat Miami, 82-73. Chauncey Billups led the way with 24 points and 10 assists. The winning streak follows a 4-4 stretch which matched Detroit's worst eight-game period of the season.

The Pistons are 36-0 when holding opponents to fewer than 90 points this season.

"This wasn't any kind of statement," said Rasheed Wallace, who had seven points and 10 rebounds. "This was just playing a game against a very good team."

Detroit has won four of the last five meetings with Indiana, including the final three games of last season's Eastern Conference semifinals.

STANDINGS: Pistons - 1st place, Central Division. Pacers - 3rd place, 19 1/2 GB, Central Division.

PROBABLE STARTERS: Pistons - F Tayshaun Prince, F Rasheed Wallace, C Ben Wallace, G Richard Hamilton, G Billups. Pacers - F Peja Stojakovic, F Jeff Foster, C David Harrison, G Jackson, G Anthony Johnson.

TEAM LEADERS: Pistons - Hamilton, 20.9 ppg; Ben Wallace, 11.8 rpg; Billups, 8.8 apg. Pacers - O'Neal, 20.7 ppg and 9.7 rpg; Tinsley, 4.5 apg.

SEASON SERIES: Tied, 1-1.

LAST MEETING: Feb. 23; Pistons, 88-83. At Auburn Hills, Mich., Rasheed Wallace scored 11 straight points in a fourth-quarter surge and finished with 28 points and nine rebounds for the Pistons.

ROAD/HOME RECORDS: Pistons - 24-11 on the road; Pacers - 21-12 at home.