For the last game and a half the Pistons have had their way with the Sixers.

Will it change Thursday night when the series returns to the Wachovia Center?

The Sixers would like to think so and they were talking a good game in the locker room at The Palace after the loss.

But it’s apparent that the Pistons are much more comfortable in big games at this point, and their years of playing together are starting to show against a young team with a number of players making their first playoff run.

By the way, the Samuel Dalembert Mohawk is something to behold. Sam says he won’t change it even though he got nothing but grief from Rasheed Wallace all night – in more ways than one.

Besides, the only alternative at this point is pretty much a shaved head.