The Detroit Pistons followed up their 2004 championship with another stellar campaign in 2004-05, finishing first in the Central Division with a 54-28 record. Led by their signature stout defense and the cohesive "Going to Work" starting five of Chauncey Billups, Richard Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince, Rasheed Wallace, and Ben Wallace, the team proved their championship pedigree by returning to the NBA Finals for the second consecutive year. Their season was defined by incredible resilience and teamwork, ultimately falling just short of a repeat in a hard-fought seven-game series against the San Antonio Spurs. The 2005-06 Detroit Pistons enjoyed a historic regular season, finishing with a franchise-best 64-18 record and securing the top seed in the Eastern Conference. Under first-year head coach Flip Saunders, the team showcased incredible consistency by starting the same lineup for 73 consecutive games and sending four starters—Chauncey Billups, Richard Hamilton, Rasheed Wallace, and Ben Wallace—to the All-Star Game. Their dominant campaign included a hard-fought playoff run where they defeated the Milwaukee Bucks and Cleveland Cavaliers to reach their fourth consecutive Eastern Conference Finals. A 2024 Hall of Fame inductee and 2004 NBA Finals MVP, Chauncey Billups was a five-time All-Star point guard nicknamed "Mr. Big Shot" who led the Detroit Pistons to a championship and seven consecutive conference finals appearances.