CLEVELAND (AP) – Chauncey Billups scored 18 points, Chris Webber and Rasheed Wallace had 15 apiece and the Detroit Pistons reminded Cleveland who’s the boss in the NBA Central with a 90-78 win over the Cavaliers on Sunday.

Billups added 10 assists, Wallace 13 rebounds and the division-leading Pistons won their fifth straight regular-season game over the Cavaliers, who pushed them to seven games in last year’s playoffs.

This Pistons’ squad is very similar to the one which beat Cleveland last May with one big addition: Webber, who signed with the club as a free agent on Jan. 16 and was facing the Cavs for the first time for his hometown team.

Webber’s presence is bad news for the Cavaliers, who don’t appear ready to dethrone their Michigan neighbors. Webber scored 13 points in the first half on 6-of-7 shooting when the Pistons grabbed control and never let go.

LeBron James led the Cavaliers with 21 points, but the All-Star forward was only 9-of-22 from the field and had a few tough layups roll out. Larry Hughes added 14 points and Zydrunas Ilgauskas had 12 with 11 rebounds for Cleveland.

Detroit, which beat Cleveland by 16 points in an earlier visit to Quicken Loans Arena this season, is the only Eastern Conference team with a winning record on the road, 15-9, and it’s easy to see how.

The Pistons never allowed a sellout crowd of more than 20,000 fans get into it. They did so by keeping James from dunking too often and making open shots any time Cleveland had a defensive breakdown.

While trying to preserve their lead in the third quarter, the Pistons were one step ahead of the Cavaliers, beating them to long rebounds and loose balls while contesting every Cleveland shot in opening a 70-59 lead entering the fourth.

James, who scored 10 points in the first half, was held to just 2 in the third and attempted only one shot from the field. None of his teammates stepped up either; Cleveland hit 6 of 19 shots in the quarter.

The Pistons kept a double-digit lead for most of the fourth before James’ reverse dunk and a 3-pointer by Sasha Pavlovic brought Cleveland within 83-76.

But Rip Hamilton hit a free throw and Wallace drained a long jumper with 49.2 seconds remaining to end any thoughts the Cavs had at a comeback.

Tied at 41-41 late in the second, the Pistons got a 3-pointer from Wallace, Webber dropped a short hook, Hamilton hit a jumper and Webber scored again underneath during a 9-2 spurt, giving Detroit a 50-43 lead at the break.

Notes: The Pistons are 7-3 since Webber joined them. … James recently remodeled his infamous Hummer, the one which got him into trouble with Ohio high school officials during his senior season at Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary. Originally platinum-colored, the SUV – an 18th birthday present from his mom – was painted black and equipped with the latest electronics. “I did it for fun,” James said. “My mom didn’t like it of course because it’s now not the same one she got for me.” Surprisingly, James never signed an endorsement deal with Hummer. “I sold a lot of trucks for them,” said. “They should give me one for free.”