AUBURN HILLS, MICH. ? The defending NBA champions were at their best when it mattered most.

Richard Hamilton scored 10 of his 23 points in the final quarter as the Detroit Pistons followed three lackluster quarters with a dominant fourth and eliminated the Philadelphia 76ers, 88-78, Tuesday night in Game 5 of their first-round series.

“We just didn’t want to let this game slip away,” Hamilton said. “The fourth quarter we always say is our quarter.”

Detroit trailed for much of the game, but went ahead 62-61 when Tayshaun Prince made the first basket of the fourth quarter. An 8-0 run gave the Pistons an 80-69 lead with 4:48 left.

“They seem to flip a switch and turn it up on offense and defense,” Sixers coach Jim O’Brien said. “Championship teams can do that.”

The Pistons will play next against Indiana or Boston.

Allen Iverson scored 34 points, playing the last 10:56 after hurting his right ankle. Iverson landed awkwardly after missing a shot and was crumpled on the court before being helped to the bench. He had his right ankle taped and was quickly back in the game.

“I admire what he did,” said Pistons coach Larry Brown, who coached Iverson for six seasons in Philadelphia before leaving for Detroit two years ago. “It was very courageous.”

Iverson also went down hard after his shot was blocked from behind midway through the second quarter.

Philadelphia forward Chris Webber, right, drives to the basket past Detroit's Ben Wallace. The Pistons eliminated the 76ers after an 88-78 victory Tuesday in Auburn Hills, Mich.

“I came out of the war beat up, but I feel like we competed,” Iverson said.

Philadelphia’s Chris Webber scored 11, and Samuel Dalembert had eight points in the first quarter but didn’t score again until late in the game, finishing with 11 points.

The Sixers started three playoff neophytes, while Detroit returned all five starters from last season.

“Experience is tough to beat,” Webber said. “So many times on the court, I looked on the right or left, to mentally tell somebody something. They’ve played together before and can make adjustments without coaching. Without experience, sometimes it’s like you’re a chicken running around with your head cut off.”

Chauncey Billups scored 23 for the Pistons and Prince had 14 points, playing 45 minutes on a sprained right ankle. Ben Wallace added 11 points, 13 rebounds and a blocked shot, giving him a franchise-record 147 career playoff blocks.