I missed Games 1 and 2 of the Sixers' Eastern Conference quarterfinal series with the Detroit Pistons because I was in Orlando, Fla., visiting Walt Disney World and Sea World with my wife and 3-year-old daughter.

This trip was booked in February, when the Sixers were 18-30, when their being in the playoffs wasn't given the slightest consideration in my vacation request.

Of course, my lack of belief in this squad didn't exactly disappear even after they made their astounding stretch run to earn a playoff spot.

The Sixers lost their final four games of the regular season and missed out on chances to having a winning record and get a higher seed in the playoffs.

Considering the way the Sixers stumbled into the playoffs and seeing them matched up against the Pistons, winners of 19 more games during the season, I didn't give this series a chance of lasting much longer than our week hanging out with Shamu and Mickey Mouse.

Before I left, I wrote that the Sixers would lose in five.

Even after the Sixers upset the Pistons in Game 1, I remained convinced this series would be a short one.

Naturally, those thoughts were bolstered with Detroit's mauling win in Game 2.

I thought the Sixers had maxed out. I thought an unexpected turnaround season would be punctuated by the good feeling that at least they didn't get swept out of the playoffs.

What I failed to accept was what I should have known, because I saw it over and over during those early days in February when I began dreaming of the Florida sun and the Sixers began dreaming of the playoffs.

For the last 3 months, this team has proved to be too resilient to be counted out of anything.

So, yes, after last night's stunning, 95-75 domination of Detroit in Game 3 at the Wachovia Center, the Sixers already have proved me wrong, and I would be foolish to say they can't upset the heavily favored Pistons and win this series.

Will it happen? I don't know.

I still won't count out Detroit, which has played in five straight Eastern Conference finals, not with the experience and talent it has.

The Sixers' getting two more wins to close out this series would be likely be a lot tougher than getting the two that have made this a series.

But it's now obvious this isn't merely a team that was simply satisfied with having a playoff

appearance as the highlight of a surprising turnaround campaign.

If the Pistons didn't realize

after Game 1 that the Sixers wouldn't roll over, they certainly have been smacked to attention now.

"We believe in ourselves," said Sixers center Samuel Dalembert, who had a playoff career-high 22 points and a game-high 16 rebounds. "We believe we are a great team.

"We just have to stick to our system and prove it to everyone else."

Bouncing back when the odds seem the worst has been a Sixers trademark this season, but this defied logic.

How did the Sixers blow out Detroit when leading scorer

Andre Iguodala continued his scoring struggles by getting only 10 points on 2-for-9 shooting?

You do it by his being intelligent enough and selfless enough to realize that other guys were picking up the slack for him and that trying to force the issue might only hurt the cause.

"I have confidence in my

teammates that they can make plays," said Iguodala, who finished tied with a game-high six assists. "It's not about me. It's about us.

"I pride myself that . . . I don't have to score in order for me to be an effective player in this league."

How does Dalembert come up with a career night in the biggest game of his career at the same time that Detroit center Rasheed Wallace, who had averaged 20 points and eight rebounds, virtually disappears, with two points and five rebounds?

How do you explain the Pistons' pulling to 48-46 on a three-pointer by Richard Hamilton and then proceeding to miss their final 14 shots of the third quarter as the Sixers raced away to a comfortable margin?

Logically, you don't, which is why you schedule a vacation

during the playoffs, predict a team will get run out of a series, and think they are as good as cooked despite being tied, 1-1.

"At the end of the day, [Detroit] is still a good team," Sixers forward Reggie Evans said. "We can't get too happy with this win. We just have to keep going on Sunday."

I don't know whether these Sixers will, but I certainly won't make the mistake of again saying they can't. *

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