Pistons public-address announcer John Mason said he won't be allowed to make his trademark call, "Chauncey B-b-b-b-Billups." But he shrugs that off.

"In this arena, you'll never hear (the introduction) anyway because it will explode," Mason said.

Even though Allen Iverson, acquired from Denver, now wears No. 1 for Detroit, there figure to be plenty more folks at the Palace wearing Billups' old No. 1.

"I'm looking forward to going back," Billups said. "It will be a lot of fun. I grew up in that city."

But that doesn't mean Billups will spend much time shedding tears about the slippage of the Pistons (29-29), who have lost eight of 10.

"Nah, I don't feel sorry for Detroit, man," Billups said. "(They are) are my guys and I love them, but I've been battling my butt off (in Denver)."

PACERS 100, NUGGETS 94: Two nights earlier, the Nuggets put the Lakers in the deep freeze.

Sunday, it was the Nuggets left out in the cold.

The Nuggets shot just 36.2 percent, and fell to Indiana at Conseco Fieldhouse.

"When you shoot 35 percent most of the game, you have trouble beating a good team," said Nuggets coach George Karl, whose team held the Lakers to 29.4-percent shooting in a 90-79 home win Friday.

It looked as if the Nuggets might get away with poor shooting Sunday, when they led 75-68 entering the fourth quarter. After all, the Nuggets had been 31-1 this season when leading after three quarters.

But the Pacers, who got 28 points from guard Jarrett Jack and 22 from forward Troy Murphy, blitzed the Nuggets 32-19 in the fourth.

Guard Chauncey Billups led the Nuggets (39-21) with 27 points. Forward Carmelo Anthony added 20.

"You got to play at a harder level than we played to win on the road," Karl said.

Denver's lead in the Northwest Division dropped to just 1-1/2 games over Portland (37-22).