AUBURN HILLS, MICH. ? The secret is out about one of the league’s best dirty-work players.

Ben Wallace set an NBA season high with 28 rebounds, scored 13 points and blocked six shots as the Detroit Pistons beat the Boston Celtics 109-101 Sunday.

“This was definitely his coming-out party,” said Joe Dumars, the Pistons’ president and former star shooting guard. “People saw what he’s been doing for us for two years.”

Each time Wallace grabbed a rebound, a white T-shirt with a red ‘R’ was handed out to fans in the fourth row behind the scorers’ table.

“I wanted to wrap those T-shirts all around the arena,” Wallace said with a grin. “But I think they were running out, so I slowed down.”

The Pistons are showing no signs of slowing down the momentum they began to pick up two months ago.

They have won 22 of 30 games, and five of six.

“It’s a great story to talk about how we don’t have respect, but we’re not worried about that,” Detroit’s Jerry Stackhouse said. “People will catch on sooner or later.”

Stackhouse had 30 points, eight assists and eight rebounds and Cliff Robinson had 20 points and seven assists. Chucky Atkins added 17 for Detroit, which kept its comfortable lead in the Central Division and stayed close to New Jersey for the best record in the Eastern Conference.

Paul Pierce scored 35 and Antoine Walker had 28 for Boston.

“We can’t get too down about this,” said Pierce, a former Kansas University standout. “But we also can’t give Ben Wallace get 28 rebounds. He’s a terror, he just attacks. He’s a great player, and I don’t think he gets the credit he deserves.”

Wallace, who matched his career-high total for rebounds, might have strengthened his chances of being the league’s defensive player of the year after Detroit’s first nationally televised game on NBC in two years.

Celtics coach Jim O’Brien said he couldn’t think of anybody more deserving than Wallace to win the award, and Boston’s Tony Battie agreed.

“He’s the defensive player of the year, hands down,” said Battie, who added that Wallace is this era’s Dennis Rodman.

Detroit took command of the game with a 15-0 run in the third quarter to take a 79-66 lead.

The Celtics scored nine straight midway through the fourth to pull within eight.

Detroit got off to a great start and never looked sluggish despite returning from a five-game road trip less than 30 hours before Sunday’s tipoff.

Raptors 92, Wizards 91

Toronto  Michael Jordan committed a costly turnover and missed a potential game-winning jumper at the buzzer as Toronto beat Washington behind 26 points from Morris Peterson. Antonio Davis, who had 17 points, stole the ball from Jordan and made a layup to give Toronto a 92-91 lead with 15.7 seconds left. Jordan then missed an 18-foot jumper as time ran out.

Hornets 99, Pacers 84

Indianapolis  Jamal Mashburn matched a season high with 36 points, and Baron Davis added 21 points and 11 assists as Charlotte beat Indiana and moved past the Pacers in the Eastern Conference playoff race. Charlotte moved into sole possession of seventh place in the conference. The Hornets extended their winning streak to six, the longest in the East.

Bucks 110, Magic 85

Milwaukee  Glenn Robinson had 25 points and 10 rebounds as Milwaukee broke a four-game losing streak by beating undermanned Orlando. The Bucks shot 62.3 percent through the three quarters to build the lead as high as 27. Orlando played without the injured Tracy McGrady and two other top scorers, then lost Troy Hudson in the third quarter after he took a hard spill.

76ers 90, Knicks 82

Philadelphia  Derrick Coleman scored 18 points, and Eric Snow had 14 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds, leading Philadelphia over New York. Aaron McKie, who had missed 23 of 26 games because of an ankle sprain, returned to the lineup and scored 12 points for Philadelphia. The Sixers won for the first time since Allen Iverson broke his hand. Speedy Claxton finished with 17 points.

Nets 116, Hawks 102

East Rutherford, N.J. Â Jason Kidd hit consecutive three-pointers, leading New Jersey to its franchise-record 10th straight home win. New Jersey will clinch a playoff berth with either its next win or a Miami loss.

Lakers 97, Kings 96

Sacramento, Calif. Â Kobe Bryant scored eight of his team’s final 10 points and carried Los Angeles over Sacramento, the league’s toughest home team, after Shaquille O’Neal fouled out with 1:19 left.

Rockets 116, Warriors 104

Oakland, Calif. Â Kenny Thomas scored a career-high 31 points, and Steve Francis had 24 as the Houston Rockets beat Golden State, snapping their four-game losing streak and extending the Warriors’ skid to 10 games.