MINNEAPOLIS - Antonio McDyess and Kevin Garnett added some tension to an already-tight game, leaving their fired-up teammates to finish the drama. Chauncey Billups and the Pistons were a little bit better than the Timberwolves down the stretch.

Billups scored 25 points and made a tying 3-pointer in the final seconds of the first extra period to spark Detroit past Minnesota 104-98 in double overtime on Friday night.

"I know they can win without me. I don't think they can win without K.G.," said McDyess, who appeared to start the angry tangle by knocking Mark Madsen over with a forearm shiver while they maneuvered for rebound position with 5:18 remaining in regulation and the score tied.

Garnett got mad and chucked the ball at McDyess, who charged at Garnett with his fist cocked. Garnett was poised to punch, too, and took a swipe at McDyess as he partially retreated, but teammates and officials stayed between the two and no blows were landed.

"Everyone in this locker room is behind Kevin Garnett 100 percent," Madsen said.

Garnett had 14 points and tied a season high with 19 rebounds. He left the building without commenting.

McDyess? He claimed it wasn't his fault and also complained that a fan yelled a racial slur at him as he left the court following the scrum.

"I never threw a punch or anything. I wanted to," McDyess said, laughing.

Perhaps he was preparing for Saturday night, when Ron Artest and the Sacramento Kings play the Pistons. It will be Artest's first game at the Palace of Auburn Hills since the brawl between Indiana Pacers players and Detroit fans on Nov. 19, 2004.

The league has been cracking down hard on fighting since then, especially this season.

"This is the league. There's a lot of testosterone. This is a man's game and sometimes tempers flare and sometimes things are said, things happen. And sometimes when situations like that happen, you've just got to step up," said Minnesota's Mike James, who put his team ahead 89-86 with a tough 3-pointer from the corner while Richard Hamilton defended with 13.8 seconds left in the first overtime.

Hamilton sneaked inside for a layup. Following two free throws by Randy Foye, James tried to foul Billups before he caught the inbounds pass -- but Billups got loose and made his big 3-pointer from the top of the key to tie it at 91 with 3.3 seconds left. Billups had 20 points after the third period.

Then Detroit, which won for only the fourth time in 12 games, pulled away.

Rasheed Wallace opened the second overtime with a jumper, and he made a turnaround hook shot about two minutes later to put the Pistons up 99-93. The Wolves, who lost for the first time in five overtime games and only the fifth time in their last 15 games overall, couldn't come closer than five after that.

They start a five-game, seven-day road trip this weekend, but because of Garnett's ejection players were defiant -- not deflated.

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