Pistons Crush 76ers, Reach Second Round

Richard Hamilton hit his first five shots during Detroit's overpowering start, and the Pistons rolled into the second round of the playoffs by crushing the Philadelphia 76ers 100-77 on Thursday to win the series 4-2. The Pistons convincingly won the last two games of a series that wasn't expected to last this long.

They will host the Orlando Magic, who eliminated Toronto in five games, on Saturday in the opener of the Eastern Conference semifinals. Detroit split four meetings with the Southeast Division champions this season. Hamilton finished with 24 points, 13 in the decisive first quarter when he outscored the 76ers by himself.