The Nets, fighting for their playoff lives, have faced the Pistons twice this season and have been manhandled both times. They just do not match up at all up front with the Pistons. And so the Nets head to Detroit, where on Friday they'll try to stop a six-game losing streak to the Pistons. And at the Palace, the Nets have lost seven of their last nine regular season games.

Their first venture to Detroit this season resulted in a 118-95 wipeout on Dec. 2 when Richard Hamilton scored 19 points while Chauncey Billups and Jason Maxiell each scored 18. Maxiell was a game-changer with six offensive rebounds. Vince Carter scored 22 for the Nets.

Carter led the Nets with 21 points, hardly enough to avert a 101-83 pounding in New Jersey Dec. 26. Hamilton again topped the Pistons scoring, this time with 22 points.

SIXERS 108, NETS 99: If you look real hard -- and are absolutely silent -- you can hear a playoff pulse within the Nets.

But it is so weak as to be negligible.

The Nets suffered a third straight defeat Tuesday to end all realistic playoff hopes. The Nets dropped to 10th place, 3 1/2 games behind eighth-place Atlanta and a half-game in back of ninth-place Indiana. Most important, they were four games back in the loss column with seven to play.

Three Sixers came up with double-doubles. Andre Miller scored 24 points and passed for 11 assists, Andre Iguodala scored 17 points and gave out 10 assists while Samuel Dalembert was a monster inside presence with 15 points, 13 rebounds and five blocks.

For the Nets, Vince Carter scored 29 points, Devin Harris had 22 while Richard Jefferson and Bostjan Nachbar had 14 each.