AUBURN HILLS, MICH. ? Richard Hamilton played like he desperately wanted a break.

The guard with the face mask had a playoff-career-high 40 points Wednesday night, and the Detroit Pistons tied a franchise-playoff scoring record in the first quarter in a 122-93 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 5.

Rasheed Wallace scored 22 points and keyed an 18-2 run after halftime for the two-time defending Eastern Conference champions, who won the best-of-seven series and advanced to the second round of the playoffs.

Detroit will play the winner of the Cleveland-Washington series. The Pistons will take a day off and have at least a couple of practices before resuming their goal of winning a second title in three years.

“We really wanted to take care of business at home,” Hamilton said. “It was important for us to get some rest and watch the other teams beat each other up.”

Hamilton was determined to find his rhythm against Milwaukee after being held to 16.8 points – more than four below his career playoff average – on 34.5 percent shooting while playing with a sprained ankle and thigh bruise.

Detroit’s strength and conditioning coach, Arnie Kander, told Hamilton that he wasn’t going to put a pad on his leg or extra tape on his ankle.

“He didn’t want me restrained,” Hamilton said. “That gave me all kinds of confidence to do what I usually do.”

Michael Redd of the Bucks scored just two points while Detroit pulled away with a dominating opening quarter in which they scored 39 points. Redd finished with 23.

“In the second quarter, when we were dead in the water, he did everything he could,” Milwaukee coach Terry Stotts said.

Detroit coach Flip Saunders, in his first season with the Pistons, said before the game he would take advantage of any and all mismatches against Milwaukee.

Saunders had a lot of choices.

The Pistons clearly made an effort to get Hamilton involved early – as T.J. Ford attempted to defend him – and the shooting guard responded.

When the Bucks left Ford alone on Hamilton, he simply rose over the shorter guard for open jumpers. When Milwaukee tried to give Ford help, Hamilton found open teammates and they made shots.

Cavaliers 121, Wizards 120, OT

Cleveland – LeBron James muscled through traffic and dropped in a layup with 0.9 seconds left in overtime as Cleveland moved closer to the second round.

With the Cavs down by one, James, who finished with 45 points, took an inbounds pass with three seconds to go. After sliding past Antawn Jamison, James knifed inside of Michael Ruffin, Gilbert Arenas and Brendan Haywood.

He rose in the lane and softly dropped in his layup, sending a sellout crowd of more than 20,000 into a frenzy.

Arenas, who matched James bucket for bucket and had 44 points, was way off with a desperation heave at the buzzer.

The best-of-seven series, which has been bogged down by whining from both teams and some questionable officiating, returns to Washington for Game 6 on Friday night. The Cavaliers lead, 3-2,