Rasheed Wallace scored 20 points and pulled down 10 rebounds as a solid Detroit Pistons defeated the Heat 90-81 in the opening game of the Eastern Conference finals in Miami on Monday.
Chauncey Billups added 18 points for the defending NBA champions, who got double-digit scoring from all five of their starters in the first of the best-of-seven games series.
Game Two is also in Miami on Wednesday and the Heat will be hoping to bounce back from their first playoff loss this postseason after eight straight victories.
Richard Hamilton added 16 points for the Pistons, while Ben Wallace had 13 points and 13 rebounds as Detroit held the Heat to just one point in the final 4 ½ minutes after nearly squandering a 14-point lead.
"We just wanted it a little bit more," Rasheed Wallace said. "We just play D [defense] and play our assignments.
"We're just trying to prove last year wasn't a fluke."
Tayshaun Prince also contributed 13 points to Detroit's attack, while Antonio McDyess had 10 points off the bench in just 20 minutes to become the sixth Piston into double figures.
Shaquille O'Neal played for the Heat despite a lingering thigh injury that kept him sidelined from games and practices for almost two weeks.
He made his first four shots of the game and finished with 20 points in 33 minutes of action.
Eddie Jones led Miami's scoring with 22 points on 9-for-13 shooting, while a disappointing Dwyane Wade could only manage 16 points after shooting just 7-for-25.
The Pistons led 44-43 at the half, pulled ahead by as many as 14 points and held the Heat to just 14 fourth quarter points in a solid defensive effort.
