Apr 25, 2002 3 min read

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) – Jerry Stackhouse scored a playoff career-high 31 points as the Detroit Pistons became the first team to take a 2-0 lead in the NBA playoffs with a 96-91 victory over Toronto on Wednesday night. Game 3 of the best-of-five series is Saturday in Toronto.

Chris Childs had 22 points and 14 assists for Toronto, and Antonio Davis added 21 points.

Stackhouse made two free throws to put Detroit ahead 51-50 at 10:57 of the third, the Pistons first lead since 1-0.

There were nine lead changes and seven ties in the third quarter as Stackhouse scored 13 in the period.

The Pistons led for the final 2:23 of the third, 72-67 entering the final quarter, and maintained a slim lead until Hakeem Olajuwon’s fadeaway gave the Raptors a 81-80 lead with 5:59 left.

Jon Barry’s 3-pointer with 4:34 left put Detroit ahead 86-85. Stackhouse made two 3-pointers from the right wing, with the second putting the Pistons ahead 94-87 with 2:09 left.

Davis made consecutive shots to cut Toronto’s deficit to three at 94-91 with 34.8 seconds left, but after a defensive stop, Alvin Williams missed a 3-pointer with 7 seconds left.

Barry, who scored 13 points, sealed the win at the free-throw line.

Detroit’s Cliff Robinson and Corliss Williamson scored 10 each, and Ben Wallace added 15 rebounds and seven points. Jerome Williams added 13 points for Toronto, and Keon Clark had 12.

Game 2 looked nothing like Game 1, especially for Toronto, which made just 29.9 percent of its shot and scored just 20 points combined in the first and third quarters.

On Sunday, the Pistons and Raptors combined for just 25 points in the first quarter, tying the NBA playoff record for fewest combined points in the first quarter.

They surpassed that total midway through the first quarter Wednesday.

The Raptors led 30-27 after the first quarter while making 54.5 percent of their shots.

They outscored Detroit 9-2 to take a 39-29 point lead early in the second, but led just 49-46 at halftime despite outrebounding the Pistons 29-15.

Notes:@ Toronto coach Lenny Wilkens made effective changes to his starting lineup by starting Childs at point guard, taking Jerome Williams out of the lineup, moving Alvin Williams from point to shooting guard and Morris Peterson from shooting guard to shooting forward. … Childs’ season-highs in points and assists were 14 and 11. … Williamson, who won the NBA’s Sixth Man Award on Tuesday, was presented with the trophy before the game by former Pistons player Vinnie Johnson. … Former Oregon quarterback Joey Harrington, drafted third overall by the Detroit Lions, attended the game.