(Photo source: sina.com)

The Pistons led throughout the game in Detroit and held James to just six points in the second half with the series on the line.

James, 21, had carried the Cavaliers to the brink of an upset against the heavily favored Pistons in his third year in the league.

James led all scorers with 27 points, including 13 in the second quarter when he turned up the heat and single-handedly pulled Cleveland back into the game.

But in the second half, a rotating cast of Pistons defenders double teamed and trapped James, denying him explosive runs at the basket.

The rest of the Cavaliers shot just 22 percent from the field. Cleveland's 23 second-half points also tied an NBA record for the lowest-scoring second half in playoff history.

"We just tried to keep (James) out of the paint and make him take jump shots," said Pistons forward Tayshaun Prince, who led Detroit with 20 points.

Cavaliers head coach Mike Brown said James seemed to lose a step in the second half with long playing time taking a toll on a still-developing star already compared to the greatest in NBA history.

"They played great team defense on LeBron. He logged a lot of minutes and just ran out of gas," Brown told reporters.

James, visibly frustrated with the loss, denied he had been tired, and immediately flashed back to Cleveland's lost opportunity to finish off the Pistons in the final moments of Game Six.

"I was disappointed we lost, of course. We were right there. We had a chance to win the series at home, but things happen," he said.

For the Pistons, who forced Sunday's game after squeaking out a two-point victory at Cleveland Friday, the key was making defensive adjustments against James, Prince said.

"He's a special player, and he took us apart in Games Three, Four and Five," Prince said of James. "We made some good adjustments and slowed him down just enough."

Detroit also got a boost late in the third quarter when reserve guard Lindsey Hunter hit a 20-foot jump shot followed by a quick lay-up in his first minute on the court.

"Lindsey just energized us, energized the arena," said Pistons coach Flip Saunders.

For his part, James said the Cleveland franchise -- dismissed through most of its 36-year history -- had proven skeptics wrong with a surprising playoff run.

"A lot of people counted us out in the first round. And then once we made it out of the first round, they didn't ever think we'd get to a Game Five. They thought we'd get swept," he said.

The Pistons, in the playoffs for the fifth straight season, advance to the Eastern Conference finals against the well-rested Miami Heat. The first game of that series is Tuesday at The Palace of Auburn Hills.