Chicago Bulls center Ben Wallace, right, drives against Detroit Pistons center Chris Webber during the first half of Game 5 in the second round of the NBA playoffs. The Bulls won, 108-92, Tuesday in Auburn Hills, Mich., and trail just 3-2 in the series.

Auburn Hills, Mich. ? Suddenly, it’s a series.

Ben Gordon scored 28 points, and the hot-shooting Chicago Bulls beat the Detroit Pistons, 108-92, Tuesday night in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, pulling to 3-2 in the series.

Detroit opened the second round with two routs and made a big comeback in the third game, leading some to predict it would end with a sweep – or in five games at the most.

Obviously, the Bulls had other plans.

“A lot of people were writing us off,” Gordon said. “But we had a lot of confidence in ourselves and I think that showed in the last two games.”

Game 6 will be Thursday night in Chicago and if Game 7 is necessary, it would be Monday night back on the Pistons’ home court.

The Bulls started the game Tuesday night with a sense of urgency and didn’t let up in a game they never trailed.

Chicago missed only one of its first seven shots while holding Detroit to 3-of-9 shooting and each starter scored to help build a 14-6 lead.

The Bulls made 72.2 percent of their shots in the first half – falling just short of an NBA record.

“It’s tough to shoot 70 percent with no one guarding you in an empty gym, much less doing it in that kind of pressure situation,” Pistons coach Flip Saunders said. “Having a team shooting like that is demoralizing.”

Despite the sensational shooting, Chicago led by just eight at halftime.

The Bulls then turned the game into a rout by outscoring Detroit, 33-20, to take a 21-point lead into the fourth quarter.

Unlike the two previous games, the Pistons didn’t rally at all and were frustrated against a team that looked much like the one that swept the defending NBA champion Miami Heat in the first round.

Midway through the fourth quarter, a sellout crowd gave up on a possible rally as the aisles filled with fans leaving and the Bulls leading 101-81.

“When the game’s going on, I’m not sitting there admiring our shooting, but we obviously did a good job,” Chicago coach Scott Skiles said. “We shot very well against Miami, and then for some reason, we couldn’t knock anything down in the first two games here.”

Gordon made shots early and often and had plenty of help.

“I made my first shot and I was in a good rhythm all night,” said Gordon, who made 10 of 16 shots and missed only one of six 3-pointers. “When I was open, I just let it go.”

Luol Deng scored 20, Kirk Hinrich had 17 and P.J. Brown scored a playoff-high 15.

The Pistons, meanwhile, didn’t have a one consistently effective player on offense and allowed the Bulls to do whatever they wanted at the other end of the court.

Chauncey Billups scored 17, Richard Hamilton had 16 points and Rasheed Wallace added 15, but the trio combined to shoot just 16-of-42.

The Pistons fell to 12-3 when they have a chance to win a series, with the rare losses coming in the last two games and in Game 7 of the 2005 NBA finals against San Antonio.

Billups said it’s fair to say Detroit relaxed after getting off to such a great start in the series.

“I can’t say we did that intentionally, but it’s human nature when you get that kind of a cushion to let up a little bit,” he said. “Our team, as you know, is not that good with cushions. Unfortunately, we’ve done that time and time again and have had to go on the road to win.”

Jazz 100, Warriors 87

Salt Lake City – Utah ended Golden State’s surprising run through the playoffs and got the Jazz back to where they haven’t been since the days of Stockton and Malone.

Andrei Kirilenko had 21 points, 15 rebounds and three steals to lead the Jazz to a 100-87 victory over the Warriors on Tuesday night, wrapping up the Western Conference semifinal series by winning four of five games.

Utah held Golden State to 14 points in the fourth quarter and unraveled the Warriors, who had knocked out top-seeded Dallas in the opening round but were badly outmatched in much of this series.

Carlos Boozer had 21 points and 14 boards and Derek Fisher scored 20 points for the Jazz, who clinched it from the foul line after struggling with free throws all night.

Baron Davis led Golden State once again, scoring 21 points and adding eight assists.