"Here, we faced one team that doesn't take many three-point shots in Philadelphia," coach Flip Saunders said. "Now, we're going to face a team with Dwight Howard inside and four guys willing to shoot threes as much as they can."

The best-of-seven series begins Saturday at The Palace. The Pistons will have only one day to prepare, while the Magic have been waiting since eliminating Toronto on Monday night. Center Antonio McDyess believes the short turnaround will benefit his team.

"It's a big plus for us," he said. "We've got our rhythm going, we've got everything going. We're focusing more and not making mental mistakes. We just have to keep it going."

Saunders also likes the idea of starting the next round quickly.

"With our guys, short-term might be better," he said. "Usually when we're getting into a rhythm, we start playing well. We're better off playing again than taking two or three days off and resting."

The Pistons swept the Magic in the opening round last year but Orlando has unquestionably improved. The off-season additions of Lewis and head coach Stan Van Gundy, who coached Miami against Detroit in the 2005 conference finals, have made the Magic more dangerous in the rematch.

Orlando also gained confidence by splitting the four-game season series against the Pistons. Howard was kept under control for the most part (17.3 points per game) but Turkoglu (19.5 points per game, 5.0 assists per game) and Lewis (17.5 points per game) made the Pistons pay for their extra attention to Howard. Well-established Pistons' killer Keith Bogans (12.8 points per game), a backup guard, came off the bench to make 12-of-14 three-point attempts.

PISTONS 100, SIXERS 77: The Pistons scored the game's first 10 points while eliminating Philadelphia four games to two in their best-of-seven, first-round playoff series Thursday night.

They're now 12-3 in closeout games since the 2003-04 season.

"Philadelphia gave us a heck of a series," Flip Saunders said.

Guards Richard Hamilton and Chauncey Billups will head into the conference semifinals against the Orlando Magic on an offensive roll. Hamilton scored 13 first-quarter points when the Pistons jumped to an 18-point lead. He finished with a game-high 24.

Billups boosted his shooting average for the series to 40 percent by going 8-for-11 from the field while scoring 20 points. They also combined for 12 of the Pistons' 28 assists.

"They're a smart, veteran team," Sixers guard Andre Miller said. "Everybody knows their role. They know what they are doing in pressure situations."

For the second straight game, the Pistons shot 58 percent from the field.

"The first three games, we held the ball a lot. We didn't move the ball as well as we can," Saunders said. "After Game 3, it was definitely a wakeup call. We had a lot of open shots in the corners and when we get that, we know we're playing the way we're supposed to play."

Sixers forward Andre Iguodala's last contribution to his frustrating series was a technical foul for arguing. His frustration bubbled over when he tracked down official Jim Clark after the third quarter to complain about a non-call.

Iguodala had 16 points but missed five free throws and committed three turnovers. The Sixers' other major weapon, Miller, shot 4-for-16 from the field.