Sixers manhandle Pistons

The host 76ers added 1 more surprise victory in a season stuffed with them.

The win wasn't the shocker -- it was the way Philadelphia completely thrashed the playoff-tested Detroit Pistons in Game 3 that was the stunner.

Andre Miller was spot on with his mid-range jumper and scored 21 points, and the rest of the Sixers ran all over the court in a dominating 95-75 victory Friday night to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round series.

Samuel Dalembert had 22 points and 16 rebounds, and the Sixers led by as many as 24 points in their first home playoff game since 2005.

The Sixers proved their Game 1 victory was no fluke, doing everything Detroit normally did on the way to five straight trips to the Eastern Conference finals: Hit clutch shots, never lost composure and kept the pressure on all game to never let the Pistons go on a serious runs.

Miller had the best all-around game, but he had plenty of help as four others scored double figures, including Dalembert's double-double.

The Pistons played nothing like a team that won 59 games in the regular season. Perhaps they took the Sixers lightly, or maybe one of the most experienced postseason rosters in the league is finally starting to wear down.

Richard Hamilton scored 23 points and Tayshaun Prince had 18. Without them, the Pistons might have lost by 30. Antonio McDyess -- who left in the third quarter with a broken nose -- Rasheed Wallace and Chauncey Billups combined for 15 points.

Game 4 is Sunday in Philadelphia.

Mavericks 97, Hornets 87: Dirk Nowitzki and host Dallas finally made New Orleans look like a playoff novice, pestering Chris Paul and David West to go a combined 6-for-30 well into the fourth quarter on the way to a victory in Game 3 that puts Dallas right back into this series.

Nowitzki had 32 points, 19 rebounds and 6 assists to pull the Mavericks within 2-1. Game 4 is Sunday night in Dallas, where the Hornets haven't won since January 1998.

Paul finished with 16 points with 10 assists, while West scored 14 points.