[Associated Press]

Billups' 34 Helps Pistons Take 3-1 Lead
MILWAUKEE (AP) -- Chauncey Billups got sick of chasing T.J. Ford around the court. So he decided to make Ford do the chasing.

Billups scored 13 fourth-quarter points - including a critical 3-pointer and six straight free throws down the stretch - as the Detroit Pistons beat the Milwaukee Bucks 109-99 to take a 3-1 lead in the first round of the NBA playoffs Monday night.

[Detroit Free Press]

Game 4: Pistons 109, Bucks 99
MILWAUKEE -- The Pistons will be happy to leave the bad memories of Milwaukee behind when they wake up at home today. All Wisconsin offered was Bucks guard Michael Redd draining jumpers, a suddenly missing-in-action defense, a plethora of whistles, chants of "Detroit sucks!" and ugly nights for starters Richard Hamilton and Ben Wallace.

And one other thing -- in the final moments, it yielded a 109-99 win.
The Pistons stole Game 4 of their first round playoff series at the Bradley Center on Monday night thanks to an 8-0 run in the fourth quarter and perfect free throw shooting from Chauncey Billups down the stretch.

[Fox Sports]

MIKE KAHN: Cassell has the Clippers flying high
In the event the Milwaukee Bucks had any designs at taking a run at the two-time Eastern Conference champion Detroit Pistons following Saturday's 20-point win in Milwaukee, Chauncey Billups put them in their place. Billups sank all 16 of his free throw attempts, finishing with 34 points as the Pistons pulled away in the fourth quarter en route to a 109-99 victory in Milwaukee; and now they're headed home with a 3-1 lead .... The Pistons crushed the Bucks down the stretch, outscoring them 35-23 in the fourth quarter with defensive stops and getting to the foul line — outscoring Milwaukee 31-19 from the line.

[Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]

Danger Zone: Bucks on the brink of elimination
“They’re a very experienced team and down the stretch, they know exactly how to get it done,” veteran Bucks forward Toni Kukoc said. “That’s why they are who they are.”

Said Bucks coach Terry Stotts: “They played a good game and we played a good game. With 2 minutes to go, it could have gone either way.” [This story has an excellent game recap, as Milwaukee's newspapers continue to kick butt against their Detroit rivals.]

MICHAEL HUNT: This is no choke, Pistons simply are better team
In an entertaining and well-played game otherwise too frequently interrupted by whistles - maybe the officials failed to check their watches to note that it was May, time to let the players play - the Bucks were beaten mostly because the league's rightful MVP refused to allow the Pistons to lose. Chauncey Billups scored 34 points and seized the final minutes, ultimately exposing one of the glaring differences between a championship aspirant and the Bucks.

Ford gets his motor running in second half
Ford sank seven of eight shots in the third quarter as the Bucks rallied from a six-point halftime deficit. It was the point guard's jumper with 1 minute 55 seconds left in the quarter that created a 70-70 tie, but he picked up his fourth foul 14 seconds later and had to go to the bench.

"I've been in foul trouble this whole series," Ford said. "But it's tough when you're going against Chauncey (Billups). He's hard to defend once he turns his back.

No turn of the century
Through three quarters, the Bucks were shooting 60% and seemed poised to crack the 100-point mark for the second time in this series .... But Detroit’s playoff experience might have been the deciding factor in the end. The Pistons outscored the Bucks, 35-23, and finished the game on a 14-6 run.

Monday Buck report
STATISTICS SHEET: The Bucks trailed at halftime, 51-45, despite shooting 55.9%, out-rebounding Detroit by two, and outscoring the Pistons in fast-break points, 12-0. Detroit had an 11-5 edge in free throws.

OFF THE BENCH: In the second quarter, the Pistons got seven points from Lindsey Hunter, five from Tony Delk, three from Maurice Evans and two from Antonio McDyess.

League punishes Pistons' Hamilton
Stu Jackson, the National Basketball Association's vice president of basketball operations, announced that Hamilton had been fined $15,000 and assessed a Flagrant Foul 2 for "unnecessary and excessive contact" with Redd in the fourth quarter of the Bucks' 124-104 victory over the Pistons in Game 3 of their first-round playoff series.

[Wisconsin State Journal]

Milwaukee down, almost out after Game 4 loss
Pistons forward Tayshaun Prince, who finished with 18 points, answered with a short hook shot to put Detroit ahead 87-86. Then things rapidly deteriorated for the Bucks. Rookie forward Andrew Bogut missed a pair of free throws on the Bucks' ensuing possession. And the Pistons' offense showed up with back-breaking ruthlessness on its next two.

Chauncey Billups, who had a game-high 34 points, buried a long 3-pointer just before the shot clock expired to make it 90-86. After an offensive foul call on Bucks forward Bobby Simmons, Pistons guard Rip Hamilton found himself open in the left corner and buried another 3-pointer to make it 93-86 with 3:48 to play.

[Racine Journal Times]

GERY WOELFEL: Stu Jackson strikes again
So what was the reaction of the Bucks to Jackson's decision? You won't know. The NBA bans front office officials, coaches and players from making any public comment after a fine or suspension is meted out. I can tell you this: They weren't happy about it. One Bucks player snarled to another teammate, "If that was me, I wouldn't be suiting up tonight.'' Responded his teammate, "Neither would I or anyone else in this locker room.''