It's almost impossible to win now.

By falling behind 3-1 in this best-of-seven series -- and going to Detroit for Game 5 on Tuesday -- the Magic are facing more than an uphill climb. They are facing a mountain.

Since the best-of-seven format began for the 1946-47 season, only eight times has a team rebounded from a 3-1 deficit to win a series.

The Pistons are expecting All-Star point guard Chauncey Billups to return for Game 5 after he missed Game 4 in Orlando because of a strained right hamstring. They won without him.

The Pistons need only to win one of the next three games to advance to the conference final for the sixth consecutive season. The Magic, meanwhile, appear satisfied by reaching the second round for the first time since 1996.

PISTONS 90, MAGIC 89: Richard Hamilton scored a game-high 32 points, including 10 in the decisive fourth quarter, and Tayshaun Prince scored the decisive basket with 8.9 seconds left to give the Pistons a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven second-round series.

The Magic led by 15 points early in the third quarter but allowed the Pistons to score 15 consecutive points to tie the game.

Hedo Turkoglu scored 20 points to lead the Magic, but he missed a final driving layup with :01 remaining that could have won the game.

Rasheed Wallace had 16 points and eight rebounds. Antonio McDyess had eight points and a game-high 14 rebounds.

The Magic struggled inside, getting only 12 rebounds and eight points from All-Star center Dwight Howard.

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