AUBURN HILLS, MICH. ? Chauncey Billups enjoyed Monday evening tremendously. He could have done without the rest of the day.

Fighting the flu, Billups scored 31 points to lead the Detroit Pistons to a 108-99 win over the New Orleans Hornets.

“I love playing this well, but I hope I don’t have to feel this miserable every time,” Billups said. “I felt horrible this morning, but I knew this was a big game for us, and I didn’t want to miss it. So I ate a little soup and felt a little better.”

The Hornets overcame a 12-point deficit in the fourth quarter, but couldn’t take the lead. The game was tied at 87 with 7:56 to play before Detroit went on an 8-3 run to take control.

“We had to play uphill a lot tonight,” New Orleans coach Tim Floyd said. “We did a better job in the second half and ended up catching them because of it, but then we just let it slip away again near the end.”

Detroit got 13 points and seven assists from Richard Hamilton in posting its highest point total of the season.

The Pistons reached 100 points for the first time since beating the Lakers, 106-96, Nov. 18.

“We showed a lot of spunk tonight, and we got contributions from a lot of guys,” Pistons coach Larry Brown said. “When they got back into the game, we were able to right the ship and make some big plays.”

Thanks to a missed free throw by Jamaal Magloire with 21 seconds left, the Pistons still have a chance to set an NBA record for defense. They have not allowed 100 points in any of their 31 games this season, leaving them two short of the mark set by the Knicks in 2000-01.

“I don’t even think we are a very good defensive team yet,” Brown said. “We’ve made some progress, but we still have to harp on the things we need to fix.”

David Wesley had 22 points, and Baron Davis added 19 for the Hornets, who lost their fourth straight road game.

“Our commitment to defense just hasn’t been there,” Wesley said. “When you are playing from behind, everything has to be perfect if you want to come back to win. It’s hard to play perfect.”

Detroit's Corliss Williamson, left, fights off New Orleans' Baron Davis. The Pistons beat the Hornets, 108-99, Monday in Auburn Hills, Mich.

Knicks 114, Magic 86

Orlando — Frank Williams made four of New York’s 15 three-pointers.

Keith Van Horn had 19 points and 10 rebounds to help the Knicks to their first three-game road winning streak since 1996.

Magic guard Tracy McGrady was scoreless for the first time in his Magic career. McGrady, the NBA’s second-leading scorer (25.2), left the game at the end of the first quarter with a strained right hip flexor and did not return.

Pacers 94, Grizzlies 86

Indianapolis — Ron Artest capped an eventful and contentious day by coming off the bench to score 18 points.

Artest was taken out of the starting lineup after he overslept and missed the morning shootaround. That episode came two nights after he was heavily criticized by coach Rick Carlisle for his behavior in a loss to New Jersey.

Artest shot 7-of-10 from the field with five rebounds and four assists, and Jermaine O’Neal had 20 points and 13 rebounds as Indiana handed the Grizzlies their sixth straight loss.

Trail Blazers 91, Nets 87

East Rutherford, N.J. — Portland became the last NBA team to win on the road this season, using defense and rebounding in the fourth quarter.

Rasheed Wallace scored 16 points, and Zach Randolph had 14 points and 13 rebounds while holding his own in a tough-guy battle with Kenyon Martin to give the Trail Blazers their first road win in 11 games.

Heat 90, Bulls 83

Chicago — Brian Grant scored 12 of his 18 points in the pivotal third quarter, and Miami overcame a 17-point deficit. Jerome Williams matched his season-high with 16 rebounds to go with 14 points. But it was little consolation to the Bulls, who blew their biggest lead of the season in a stunning meltdown.

SuperSonics 87, Rockets 86

Houston — Vladimir Radmanovic sank a pair of key three-point shots, and Ray Allen hit a pressure free throw with four seconds left. Allen led Seattle with 28 points.

Houston had six players in double figures, led by Yao Ming with 15 points.

Jazz 106, 76ers 97

Salt Lake City — Matt Harpring scored 19 points against his former team, and Raul Lopez had 13 points and 10 assists off the bench.

The Sixers, playing their eighth straight game without Allen Iverson (sore knee), lost their third straight and for the fifth time in six games.

Suns 113, Clippers 105

Los Angeles — Stephon Marbury scored 40 points, and Penny Hardaway had 10 of his 18 points in the final 4:33 as Phoenix ended an eight-game road losing streak.

Corey Maggette scored 26 points for the Clippers, who lost at home for the second time in two days after Sunday’s defeat against Toronto ended their five-game home winning streak. Elton Brand and Quentin Richardson each had 24 points.

Celtics 100, Warriors 91

Oakland, Calif. — Paul Pierce had 21 points, seven rebounds, six assists and four steals, and Boston held off a late rally.

Walter McCarty added 16 points and seven rebounds, making a key three-pointer with 3:10 left that helped halt the Warriors’ momentum.

Jason Richardson scored eight of his 17 points in the fourth quarter for Golden State.