AUBURN HILLS, Mich. - If you've thought the NBA Finals were a bit of a snooze so far, Chauncey Billups says it's time to wake up.

After three fairly tepid games of stout defense, inept offense and good behavior, there are big stakes for Game 4 tonight. The San Antonio Spurs are hoping to blow open the series with a comeback victory, while the Detroit Pistons will attempt to tie it at two games apiece.

After three games of clutching, hacking and heavy contact between the league's top two defensive teams, some healthy distaste has built up - and as always, Detroit's fans will be ready to roar for their defending champions in their biggest game of the season.

The way Billups sees it, the series has just begun.

"We try not to put too much on one game, but it's hard not to, in this situation," said Billups, who had 20 points and seven assists in Game 3. "We know we need this one, because being down 3-1 would be tough. And they know they need it too, because they don't want to lose back-to-backs and start to hear our footsteps."

The first three games followed roughly the same script. Detroit and San Antonio each struggled against the other's defense for most of the first three quarters before the home team pulled away to a comfortable win, with little drama and few memorable plays. Each game was decided by at least 15 points - a first in NBA Finals history.

Neither team expects such a one-sided finish in Game 4, not with so many talented offensive players still waiting for a chance to impress the nation.

Tim Duncan, the two-time finals MVP who struggled in Game 3, has a history of responding to such setbacks with fundamentally flawless performances. Manu Ginobili insists his bruised thigh won't slow him as he tries to recapture his daredevil form of the first two games, when he scored 53 points.

"I don't want to have back-to-back bad games," said Duncan, whose frustration led to a rare technical foul. "These guys are a very good defensive team, and I would like to be more effective. I don't want to have a game like I did last night."

On the home side, Rasheed Wallace is overdue for a big game for Detroit, while Richard Hamilton or Billups could be ready to add to their impressive postseason resumes.

What's more, a rivalry finally seems to be brewing between the unflappable Spurs and scrappy Pistons. Bruce Bowen's tight defense against Hamilton finally irked the Detroit star after Game 3, when he suggested San Antonio's defensive stopper plays at the limits of the law.

"I know he's good ... but he didn't win Defensive Player of the Year, Ben (Wallace) did," Hamilton said Wednesday after the Pistons' practice at the Palace. "He gets away with a lot, a lot. It's crazy. He's out there hitting you, holding you, tripping you, using his hips, but he gets away with it.

"He puts his body on the line, though. I just try to frustrate him by running him off screens - anything. I try to let my (big guys) handle him. I just tell my bigs, 'Keep hitting him.'"

That kind of contact was rampant in Game 3. Billups repeatedly knocked down Tony Parker, who scored 21 points but was punished for each, while Ben Wallace helped bully Duncan into his worst game in weeks: 14 points on 5-of-15 shooting and 10 rebounds.

"I really don't think we can hold those guys to those numbers again," Ben Wallace said. "But I think we can give that effort again."

Duncan's self-criticism aside, the Spurs were in a light mood at practice. Both teams have plenty of experience winning big games, so the prospect of another key finals matchup is more enticing than unnerving.

"It's a huge game, a huge game for both teams," Parker said. "We definitely need to get one on the road, and Detroit definitely needs a win to come back in the series. So I'm looking for a great game and a lot of intensity (tonight)."