AUBURN HILLS, MICH. ? Richard Hamilton was running down the court for what appeared to be an easy layup when Derrick Coleman suddenly appeared behind him and swatted the ball away.

Coleman was called for a foul, but the play might have surprised the people who have criticized him over the years for not living up to his potential because of his attitude and weight problems.

Yet Coleman has been a key contributor for the Philadelphia 76ers, and he’s a big reason why the team won two straight games against the Pistons to even their second-round series at 2-2. Game 5 is Wednesday night in Detroit.

In Philadelphia’s 13-point win Sunday night, Coleman had 14 points, 15 rebounds, three steals, two blocks and two assists. He’s averaging 15.5 points, 11 rebounds, 1.3 blocks and 39.5 minutes in the series.

Pistons coach Rick Carlisle isn’t surprised by Coleman’s play, because he saw him average more than 20 points and 11 rebounds a game as a Nets assistant a decade ago.

“This season I’ve seen a level of consistency from him that I haven’t seen before, and he has carried that through the playoffs,” Carlisle said Monday. “Derrick is a wonderfully talented player, and he has always had the ability to bear down and step up his game. He’s doing that right now, and he deserves a lot of credit for that.”