Trailing by 10 points at halftime, Detroit showed the heart and fire that made the second-seeded Pistons such prohibitive favorites at the beginning of the series.

Detroit has regained at least the psychological control as the teams gear up for tonight's 7 o'clock matchup at the Palace of Auburn Hills, but the Sixers have shown resilience this season and in this series.

The Sixers remained confident after yesterday's film session and light workout at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Yet there are things that must change for the seventh-seeded Sixers to harbor realistic hopes of upsetting a team that has looked old in one game and like a veteran champion the next.

The Pistons still ooze with talent. One of their problems in this series has been that they often decide to play with urgency on their terms.

They had a 15-point lead midway through the third quarter of Game 1 and then mentally checked out, figuring the game was in the bag. The Sixers came back to win, 90-86.

That loss pushed all the motivational buttons for Detroit, which was focused and intense in a 105-88 win in Game 2 that was not as close as the final score indicated.

Detroit then went back to playing with less than burning intensity and turned the ball over 25 times in the Sixers' 95-75 win in Game 3.

But on Sunday, the Sixers were the ones who let up, after leading by 14 points late in the second quarter and by 10 at halftime.

In the third quarter, when the Pistons outscored the Sixers by 18 points, Detroit played like a desperate team.

Assuming the Pistons do not tone it down for Game 5, do the Sixers stand a chance?

The answer is yes. But they must do some things differently.

It is too easy to say that Andre Iguodala, who is shooting 22.4 percent and is leading both teams with 17 turnovers, has to step it up.

Although Iguodala has struggled on offense, his defense has been just as damaging. Iguodala has been unable to handle Tayshaun Prince, who is averaging 17.3 points and shooting 66 percent from the field.

"He has probably been the most consistent player in this series and has hurt us in a variety of ways, and we have to figure a way to slow him," Sixers coach Maurice Cheeks said.

Here is the first adjustment: Tell Iguodala that his main job is not to force the action on offense but to stop Prince. Don't have Iguodala dribble as much, and use him as a decoy if Detroit sends an extra defender after him.

And most important, Iguodala has to get rid of the ball quicker. When he holds the ball, the defenders have converged on him, resulting in a forced shot or a turnover.

"Whenever I get by [Prince], there is always somebody there, and they do a good job of drawing charges," Iguodala said. "It is kind of playing with my mind, trying to find out where everybody is on the court."

There is too much thinking going on and not enough instinctive reacting. The Sixers should let Iguodala run off screens and run the break, but should take the decision-making out of his hands and have him concentrate on defense.

Prince, by the way, has shot 19 for 21 in the last two games. It's about time the Sixers focused on stopping him, because most of his teammates have been inconsistent.

The Sixers were hurt in Game 4 when Rasheed Wallace hit three three-point field goals in the third quarter.

In covering Wallace on the perimeter, the Sixers try to have a guard pick him up so Samuel Dalembert can stay close to the basket. It would probably be better for Dalembert to shadow Wallace everywhere.

Wallace, who has hit eight three-pointers in the series (two more than the entire Sixers team), would have more trouble shooting over the 6-foot-11 Dalembert than a guard.

Also worth considering: In the playoffs, coaches shorten their benches. Cheeks should be subbing more and having the Sixers pressure Detroit all the time, trying to wear down the older players.

That means giving Rodney Carney, one of the most athletic players in the league, a few more minutes. Is it any coincidence that Carney's longest stint - 21 minutes, 24 seconds - came in Game 3, the Sixers' best effort of the series?

Carney can infiltrate the passing lanes and trigger the fastbreak. Moreover, he has three three-pointers, half the Sixers' total.

Iguodala and Andre Miller played 45 and 42 minutes, respectively, in Game 4. That is too long, especially in the frenetic pace of the postseason. And it should only get more heated as the teams approach a best-of-three scenario.