NBA - Team USA duo Prince, Billups lead Pistons past Hawks

NEW YORK (NBA) - A pair of Team USA stars led the Detroit Pistons to a 106-95 rout of the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday with forward Tayshaun Prince pouring in 23 points and Chauncey Billups scoring 10 and dishing out 10 assists.

Detroit has been on fire of late, blistering Eastern Conference foes Cleveland, Milwaukee and New Jersey by an average of 28 points and scoring an average of 115 in each of their last three games.

Jarvis Hayes had a season-high 17 points, Richard Hamilton added 14, Jason Maxiell scored 13, Rasheed Wallace added 11 and Antonio McDyess 10 for the Pistons, who have won four straight.

Richard Jefferson scored a season-high 36 points and Vince Carter added 19 as the New Jersey Nets dominated the third quarter to send the Cleveland Cavaliers to their fourth straight loss with a 100-79 victory.

In the Western Conference, the Minnesota Timberwolves had no answer for Kobe Bryant as the Los Angeles Lakers snapped a three-game road losing streak with an easy 116-95 victory.

Bryant, who entered the contest second in the league at 27.6 points per game, scored 13 of his 20 in the first quarter and created foul trouble for all the Timberwolves tasked with guarding him - including Rashad McCants, Ryan Gomes and Greg Buckner.

The superstar guard totalled his output in just 29 minutes and did not play in the fourth quarter for the Lakers, who secured just their third win in their last eight games.

In Sacramento, Kevin Martin scored 25 points before leaving with an injury as the Kings pulled away from the Utah Jazz to record a 117-107 victory.

Another Team USA player, Amare Stoudemire, tore apart the Indiana Pacers with 42 points and 13 rebounds and Steve Nash produced several clutch plays down the stretch as the Phoenix Suns put away the Indiana Pacers 121-117.

Nash, who finished with 18 points and 17 assists, scored five points in the final 1:15 to lead the Suns to their 11th win in their last 13 games.

The Los Angeles Clippers suffered an 87-78 defeat to the visiting Milwaukee Bucks.

Michael Redd, who played on the gold medal winning US team at the FIBA Americas Championship this summer, scored 25 points and Australia national team centre Andrew Bogut had 19 and 12 rebounds for the Bucks, who snapped a four-game losing streak.

FIBA