Orlando, Fla. ? Chauncey Billups broke out of his three-point shooting slump in a big way, sending the Magic-Pistons series back to Detroit for a decisive Game 7.

Making more three-pointers in the first quarter than he had all series, Billups scored a career-high 40 points and the Pistons blanketed the Magic defensively for a second straight game in a 103-88 victory Friday night.

The victory evened the first-round series at 3-3 and set up a win-or-walk situation Sunday in Detroit.

“The team that wins moves on, and the team that loses is going to feel like they’ve lost a golden opportunity,” Orlando coach Doc Rivers said. “Being up 3-1, losing two games is very difficult for our team.”

Billups shot 7-of-14 on three-pointers, including all five tries in the first period when Detroit seized a lead it would never relinquish. He entered the game shooting 14 percent (4-for-28) from behind the arc, but credited a healed left thigh bruise for his turnaround.

“Shooters shoot,” said Billups, who beat his previous scoring high by four. “I’m just continuing to stay aggressive.”

Richard Hamilton added 22 points, and Ben Wallace had his fourth double-double of the series, tying his career-high with 20 points, grabbing 17 rebounds and blocking five shots.

Snapping a 12-game road playoff losing streak, the Pistons moved within one win of becoming only the seventh team in NBA playoff history to avoid elimination after falling behind 3-1. Also, Detroit would dodge the ignominy of being ousted by a No. 8 seed, which has happened only twice before — by the Miami Heat in 1999 and Seattle in 1994 — since the NBA went to a 16-team format in 1984.

“We dug a hole for ourselves and we could’ve felt sorry for ourselves and gave up,” Wallace said. “Or, we could’ve came out and did what we did.”

Orlando shot 39.5 percent, missing 16 of 18 three-point attempts, and turned the ball over 17 times for 17 points. In the past two games, the Magic have shot less than 36 percent with 37 turnovers.

Detroit's Chauncey Billups, center, tries to drive between Orlando's Gordon Giricek, left, and Tracy McGrady. Billups had 40 points in the Pistons' 103-88 victory Friday night in Orlando, Fla.

“Our defense should’ve been questioned (before Game 5) because Orlando was shooting 46 percent at that point,” Detroit coach Rick Carlisle said. “I just continue to say that if you’re going to allow a team like Orlando to shoot in the high 40s, you’re going to get beat.”

Tracy McGrady had 37 points and 11 rebounds for Orlando, although he looked increasingly fatigued as the game wore on. Playing all but 25 seconds despite tendinitis in both knees, McGrady shot 11-for-28, 1-of-6 on 3s, and scored only six points in the fourth quarter.

Gordan Giricek scored 12 points while Kansas University product Drew Gooden added 11 points and 12 rebounds.

Trail Blazers 125,

Mavericks 103

Portland, Ore. — Portland moved one step away from making NBA history — becoming the first team to successfully come back from a 3-0 deficit in the playoffs. The Trail Blazers scored 37 points in the second quarter and 64 in the first half, opening a huge lead that held up the rest of the way to force a decisive Game 7 in their first-round series. After dropping the first three games, the Blazers have won three straight to become just the third team in league history to force a Game 7 after losing the first three. The others were Denver against Utah in 1994 and New York against Rochester in 1951. Zach Randolph had 21 points and 10 rebounds, Ruben Patterson scored 20, Bonzi Wells added 18 and Arvydas Sabonis had 16.

76ers 107, Hornets 103

New Orleans — Allen Iverson capped a 45-point performance by scoring Philadelphia’s final six points — including a key straightaway bank shot with 10 seconds left — as the 76ers eliminated New Orleans. Several other Sixers had solid games — Keith Van Horn with 18 points and 18 rebounds, Derrick Coleman with 16 points and Kenny Thomas with 10. Jamal Mashburn, playing his second game with a chipped bone in his right middle finger, scored 36 to lead New Orleans, which was hurt by 14-for-23 free throw shooting, missing five of eight in the final period. Baron Davis added 21 points for New Orleans but missed substantial chunks of time because of foul trouble. David Wesley added 19 points, but fouled out while struggling to guard Iverson.