AUBURN HILLS, MICH. ? The Detroit Pistons know they should have put Boston away. They were lucky to hold on and win.

Corliss Williamson scored 10 fourth-quarter points, including the go-ahead free throws with 33.9 seconds left, and Detroit beat the Celtics, 86-83, Tuesday night.

The Pistons led by 10 going into the final quarter against a team that was missing All-Star forward Antoine Walker (knee) and Tony Delk (ankle).

“We are a much better team than we showed tonight,” Ben Wallace said. “We had a chance to get this game over with and get a chance to rest some guys. Instead, we let them hang around and turn the game into a dogfight.”

Paul Pierce, selected along with Walker as an All-Star earlier in the day, had 30 points for the Celtics in the first meeting between the teams since Boston beat Detroit in five games in the second round of last year’s playoffs.

“They made the plays down the stretch and we didn’t,” Pierce said. “Detroit really has a lot of weapons out there and they are going to definitely be a team to be reckoned with in the playoffs. Tonight, though, it was just a matter of execution.”

Chauncey Billups led the Pistons with 16 points, while Richard Hamilton added 14 and Williamson 12.

“Give Boston credit, they fought hard without a couple of their best guys,” Billups said. “We tried to put them away, but we ended up having to scratch and claw for everything tonight. That’s what has been happening for us lately. Teams are really fighting against us.”

Walter McCarty’s three-pointer with 1:53 left pulled Boston to 82-81, and Pierce gave the Celtics a one-point lead with two free throws.

On the other end, Williamson’s free throws put Detroit back up by a point.

Pierce missed and Wallace grabbed the rebound and was fouled. Wallace missed both free throws, but Cliff Robinson and Tony Battie tied up the rebound for a jump ball with 10.7 seconds to go.

Boston's Eric Williams shoots over Detroit's Corliss Williamson. Detroit defeated the Celtics, 86-83, on Tuesday at Auburn Hills, Mich.

Battie knocked the ball out of bounds and Billups made it a three-point game with two shots from the line.

McCarty stepped out of bounds before he could get off a three-pointer, and even after Billups missed two free throws, Boston couldn’t get off another shot.

Boston coach Jim O’Brien said McCarty should never even have touched the ball.

“We said that if Walter wasn’t open, the ball should go to Paul,” he said. “Walter wasn’t open, but we forced it to him anyway. We should have gone to the second option.”

Billups breathed a huge sigh of relief after his two misses from the line didn’t end up costing Detroit the game.

“I couldn’t believe I missed those two shots — I can’t even remember the last time I missed two free throws at the end of a game,” he said. “I just felt off all night — even the two I made on the possession before didn’t feel good.”

In all, Detroit missed 13 free throws, including 10 in the second half.

Sixers 108, Bucks 81

Milwaukee — Keith Van Horn scored 24 points, Brian Skinner and Allen Iverson had 20 each, and Philadelphia routed Milwaukee. The 76ers, who lost their last three at home, won their fourth straight on the road and handed the Bucks only their second loss in 10 games.

Skinner grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds. Ray Allen scored 18 points and Tim Thomas 14 for the Bucks.

Jazz 102, Kings 92

Sacramento, Calif. — Karl Malone had 29 points, 10 rebounds and six assists just hours after being left off the All-Star team, and Utah snapped a seven-game losing streak to Sacramento.

Utah coach Jerry Sloan pushed official Courtney Kirkland in the chest and was ejected in the first quarter. But Malone helped the Jazz recover from an early deficit to end a three-game losing streak.

The Kings, who lost leading scorer Chris Webber to a sprained left ankle, have dropped three straight.

Trail Blazers 98, Nuggets 92

Portland, Ore. — Derek Anderson scored 24 points, and Arvydas Sabonis had 12 points and nine rebounds as Portland won its fifth straight game.

Scottie Pippen had 13 points, five rebounds and five assists for the Blazers, who had lost three in a row to Denver dating to last season. Portland has won seven of eight overall.

Juwan Howard had 17 points and six rebounds to lead the Nuggets, who lost their fifth in a row overall and seventh straight on the road.

Sonics 91, Warriors 88

Seattle — Gary Payton’s three-pointer with 4.2 seconds left gave Seattle its 14th consecutive victory over Golden State.

Rashard Lewis led five Sonics in double figures with 22 points. He also pulled down 15 rebounds. Payton had 20 points and Mason 17.

The Warriors, whose three-game winning streak was snapped, were led by Gilbert Arenas’ 28 points — including 16 in the fourth quarter.

Knicks 103, Hawks 98

New York — Latrell Sprewell reached 20 points for the third straight game and made four of New York’s 10 three-pointers. Allan Houston scored 24 and Kurt Thomas added 18 for the Knicks.

Shareef Abdur-Rahim scored 30 points — including 19 in the third quarter — and Glenn Robinson added 26 for the Hawks. Abdur-Rahim also grabbed a season-high 17 rebounds.