Chauncey Billups sent a message that he is still the man in Detroit when the game is on the line, the Detroit News is reporting.

Billups scored 8 points in the final 2 1/2 minutes to trigger the Pistons' 85-81 comeback exhibition victory over the Mavericks at The Palace on Thursday.

"Listen, when it gets to crunch time, I am going to have the ball, and I am going to be initiating sets," Billups said Friday. "That's just how it's going to be, and it's not just me saying that; it's everybody saying it."