Miami Heat Shaquille O'Neal (32) grabs a pass as Detroit Pistons' Ben Wallace (3) defends during the first half of game seven of the Eastern Conference finals in Miami, Monday June 6, 2005. (AP)

Richard Hamilton scored 22 points and Rasheed Wallace added 20 as the Detroit Pistons recorded an 88-82 Game Seven road victory over the Miami Heat to advance to the National Basketball Association finals on Monday.

The defending NBA champions rallied in the final quarter to take the best-of-seven Eastern Conference finals 4-3, setting up a title showdown against the San Antonio Spurs.

Game One of the best-of-seven finals series in San Antonio on Thursday. The Spurs defeated the Phoenix Suns 4-1 to win the Western Conference title.

Chauncey Billups added 18 points and eight assists for the Pistons, including several clutch free throws in the dying seconds, as Detroit seized control of the game in the final four minutes.

The Pistons became the first Eastern Conference team in 23 years to win a Game Seven on the road as they notched a 10th straight success when needing one victory to clinch a series.

"We never panicked and we had so many guys who stepped up," Detroit coach Larry Brown said.

"A lot of guys stepped up, it was a total team effort. We just beat a great team."

The contest was a tense, close battle throughout the night, but the Pistons showed their playoff experience and poise down the stretch to ease away from the Heat with a 10-3 run in the final one-and-a-half minutes.

Miami led by as many as seven points in the fourth quarter but held their last lead of the game at 79-78 with 1:26 to play before Wallace hit a pair of free throws to put the Pistons in front for good.

"I'm thrilled," Hamilton said. "It's like a dream come true. To get the opportunity to play for my second championship at 27, it's a great feeling."

WADE STRUGGLES

Tayshaun Prince added 13 points and eight rebounds for the Pistons, who out-scored the Heat 24-16 in the final quarter.

"I've been proud of this team a lot," Brown said. "We've been through a lot together."

Last year's NBA finals MVP, Billups was also thrilled to get another chance at a title.

"It's what you dream about," he said. "It's an unbelievable experience to know you are the only game of the night."

Shaquille O'Neal led Miami with 27 points and nine rebounds, and Dwyane Wade scored 20 points while playing through a painful rib injury that kept him out of Game Six.

However, the exciting young guard was clearly labouring due to his injury and was held scoreless in the final 15 minutes.

"It was seven games, it went down to the last couple of seconds," Wade said.

"They made the plays down the stretch and we didn't."

Wade admitted he was hurting but played down his injury, even though he needed pain-killing injections in order to play.

"Anybody would have done what I did to play in a Game Seven" he said.

It was a heartbreaking loss for the Eastern Conference's number one seed, especially after they held a 3-2 series lead before the Pistons routed them in Game Six.

"I don't think I've ever been more disappointed," Miami coach Stan Van Gundy said.

"I'm not disappointed in my players, I'm just extremely disappointed in the result.

"You work all year to get a Game Seven at home and to have a seven-point lead in the fourth quarter and not to be able to get it done ... it's very disappointing."

Udonis Haslem added 13 points and had 10 rebounds for the Heat, while Eddie Jones added 10 points.

Before last season's triumph, Detroit were NBA champions in 1989 and 1990. San Antonio won the title in 1999 and 2003.
 
(Agencies)