LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Clippers treated Ben Wallace as though he were Shaquille O'Neal.

And the Detroit Pistons center truly appreciated the attention.

Out of desperation, the Clippers fouled Wallace down the stretch, employing the Hack-A-Shaq strategy. He missed 15 of 20 free throws in the fourth quarter. But the Pistons overcame it and beat the Clippers, 109-101, last night.

"That's a compliment," Wallace said. "They're just saying they couldn't play with us, that's all. They took themselves out of the flow of the game. Teams do that all the time against me, and they always lose.

"Sometimes you outsmart yourself."

Chauncey Billups scored 25 points and Richard Hamilton added 23 for the Pistons, who committed only four turnovers and extended their winning streak to six.

Kings 110, Hornets 100: Bonzi Wells scored 14 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter, Peja Stojakovic hit six 3-pointers and also finished with 23 points to help Sacramento snap a four-game home losing streak. Shareef Abdur-Rahim added 23 points and 11 rebounds on his 29th birthday.

Rockets 100, Trail Blazers 86: Tracy McGrady matched his season high with 35 points and added seven rebounds to lead visiting Houston to its eighth straight victory over Portland. Without McGrady, Houston is 0-8.