Associated Press

Auburn Hills, May 10:

Ben Wallace, the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year, scored 14 of his 21 points in the first half as Detroit Pistons beat the Indiana Pacers 96-81 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semi-finals.

Wallace, who also had 15 rebounds and four steals, would have had a better night offensively had the notoriously poor free-throw shooter not missed 10 of 15 at the line.

In the other game, Phoenix Suns took a 1-0 lead in the Western Conference semis by beating Dallas Mavericks 127-102. After winning at Boston in Game 7, the Pacers were left with only one day of rest before facing Detroit, which was off six days after eliminating Philadelphia in Game 5.

Indiana scored the first basket, then fell behind and couldn’t do much about it. O’Neal had a great start, then cooled down, finishing with 22 points. Jackson didn’t score until early in the second quarter and finished with 15 points.

Reggie Miller, who plans to retire after the season, scored just six points — nearly 10 below his playoff average — and struggled to stay with Richared Hamilton. Jamaal Tinsley added 13 points for the Pacers.

Hamilton had 28 points, while Chauncey Billups and Rasheed Wallace each scored 11. O’Neal prevented the Pacers from falling behind earlier by scoring 12 of their first 16 points. Detroit led 23-20 after the first quarter.

The Pistons built a cushion by outscoring Indiana 11-4 to open the second quarter and led by as much as 16 before taking a 52-38 lead at halftime. They started the fourth quarter with a 72-57 lead.

At Phoenix, Amare Stoudemire set career playoff highs of 40 points and 16 rebounds. Phoenix had not played in eight days after sweeping Memphis, but the Suns came out rested and running against the Mavericks, who were coming off a 40-point victory over Houston in Game 7 of their first-round series on Saturday.

Joe Johnson had 25 points and Shawn Marion 23 points and 11 rebounds in a game the Suns led from the start. Steve Nash was presented with the league’s most valuable player

trophy by NBA commissioner David Stern before the game.