Portland, OR -- (Sports Network) - Richard Hamilton netted 21 points to guide the Detroit Pistons past the Portland Trail Blazers, 87-75, at the Rose Garden.

Tayshaun Prince ended with 15 points while Antonio McDyess scored 13 off the bench for the Pistons, who have won four in a row. With the win, Detroit remains two points ahead of Cleveland for the lead in the Central Division and the top spot in the Eastern Conference.

Chauncey Billups registered nine points and nine assists in a winning effort.

"We were patient tonight," Billups said. "We had some mismatches out there and we looked to attack them."

Zach Randolph dropped in 21 points and also collected 11 rebounds for Portland, which has dropped four of five. Brandon Roy donated 15 points, while LaMarcus Aldridge had 14 points, 10 boards and three blocks.

"We've got to step it up and bring it," Randolph said. "We've got to learn and mature from it. I'm trying to learn and show them how it is. They have veterans on that team and they'll be in the finals."

Detroit played front-runner for the majority of the contest, and closed the first quarter out on a 13-4 run to assume a 24-14 advantage.

The road squad pushed that lead to 38-20 with about 5:20 left in the first half on a McDyess jumper, but Portland finished the quarter strong to trim its deficit to eight, 45-37, at intermission.

The Blazers then started the third with a 10-2 burst to knot the game at 47-47.

The Pistons, though, rattled off the next 10 points in response, capped by Rasheed Wallace's jumper with 6:10 on the clock to push the lead back to double- digits.

Detroit entered the fourth up 68-58 after Billups hit a three at the buzzer, and led by no less than six the rest of the way.

Game Notes

The Pistons are 22-10 on the road this season. They will visit the Phoenix Suns on Friday at US Airways Center...The Trail Blazers are 15-18 at home this season. They are scheduled to visit the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday at the Staples Center.