Spurs Defeat Pistons After Wallace Is Ejected

The San Antonio Spurs didn’t look like one of the NBA’s top defensive teams in the first half at San Antonio. They certainly did when it counted.

The Spurs limited the Detroit Pistons to only six baskets in the fourth quarter and took full advantage of Ben Wallace’s late-game ejection to pull away for an 84-75 victory Thursday night.

The win moved the Spurs within two games of Midwest Division leader Minnesota.

San Antonio Coach Gregg Popovich said playing the Pistons was tough, given that he learned how to coach from Detroit’s Larry Brown.

“It’s like playing ourselves,” said Popovich, an assistant in San Antonio under Brown for three-plus seasons. “We do a lot of the same things. We like the same kind of players.”

Detroit trailed, 71-64, when Wallace was whistled for a loose-ball foul on Malik Rose with 6:08 left. When Wallace heatedly argued the call, referee Steve Javie gave him a double technical foul and ejected him. Seven technical fouls were assessed, including four against the Pistons.

Tony Parker’s basket with 3:55 left capped an 18-4 run that gave the Spurs an 82-66 lead.

Atlanta 84, New Orleans 76 -- Bob Sura had 23 points and a career-high 15 rebounds, and the Hawks held the Hornets to 30 second-half points and took advantage of the absence of Baron Davis to win at Atlanta.

The loss left New Orleans only 1 1/2 games ahead of Milwaukee for fourth place in the Eastern Conference.

Davis, the Hornets’ leading scorer, had a sprained left ankle. Darrell Armstrong, who replaced Davis, scored eight points.