AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – Austin Daye made a tying 3-pointer with 3.5 seconds left in regulation and the Detroit Pistons went on to beat the Philadelphia 76ers 112-109 in overtime Saturday night.
Detroit trailed by three when Charlie Villanueva's rushed 3-pointer missed everything, but Lou Williams missed two free throws at the other end with 6.2 seconds remaining, giving the Pistons another chance. Daye caught Tracy McGrady's inbounds pass in the corner and made the tying shot from long range.
Williams entered the game shooting 82 percent from the free throw line.
He had a chance to redeem himself after Daye's shot, but he missed a contested shot from the left wing that could have won it. Daye then started overtime with a 3-pointer and a dunk.
The 76ers nearly rallied from a seven-point deficit in the final 20 seconds of overtime, pulling within one on 3-pointers by Evan Turner and Jodie Meeks. After Rodney Stuckey made two free throws for Detroit with 6.6 seconds left, Meeks tried a wild, off-balance shot that was well guarded. The shot bounced off the rim.
Tayshaun Prince scored 23 points for the Pistons, and rookie Greg Monroe added a career-high 16 points along with 13 rebounds.
Turner scored 19 points for Philadelphia, one of seven 76ers — including four reserves — in double figures. Elton Brand had 17 points and 14 rebounds, and Jrue Holiday contributed 15 points and 12 assists.
The 76ers are in playoff contention after bouncing back from a 3-13 start. They were sharp early on against Detroit. Philadelphia led 34-30 after shooting 74 percent from the field in the first quarter.
The Pistons clamped down a little more after that, and the 76ers finished the game at 48 percent. Detroit also had 15 offensive rebounds, five by Monroe.
With the Pistons trailing 92-90, Ben Wallace missed a wild shot inside and then was called for a technical foul for showing his frustration. Williams made the free throw with 2:05 remaining, but the 76ers couldn't extend the lead beyond three.
Brand made a big play with the shot clock running down, drifting to his right and making a shot from near the free throw line with 12.4 seconds remaining. After Villanueva's miss, the 76ers simply needed to make their free throws to put the game away, but Williams wasn't able to.
Notes: Philadelphia's Andre Iguodala (tendinitis) missed his seventh straight game. ... Philadelphia associate head coach Michael Curry was Detroit's coach two seasons ago. He also played for the Pistons for six seasons. ... Pistons coach John Kuester said before the game he doesn't think the team's sale has been too much of a distraction for his players. Reports on Friday said Platinum Equity chairman Tom Gores has a 30-day exclusive window to buy the team. "The checks come in, the plane shows up and we get per diem, so I think they're happy," Kuester said.
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