AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – Detroit’s Richard Hamilton said he believes he’s figured out San Antonio’s Bruce Bowen. Hamilton said he doesn’t think the referees have figured out Bowen.

Bowen is a five-time NBA All-Defensive Team selection. Hamilton said Bowen also should be in the running for All-Pro linebacker.

Hamilton, the engine to the Pistons’ offense, breathed a sigh of relief following his game-high, 24-point, Game 3 performance Tuesday night in the Pistons’ 96-79 rout of the Spurs. Hamilton was a train wreck in San Antonio, shooting 12-of-36 in the first two losses, Bowen slathered on him like BBQ sauce on ribs.

With Detroit trailing 2-1 in The Finals, the defending champions look to tie the series tonight at the Palace. The Hamilton-Bowen matchup is potentially the key to the series.

Hamilton said he’s through trying to draw fouls on Bowen because the officials apparently have different rules governing Bowen’s defense.

“It takes time to figure out how a guy is guarding you,” Hamilton said. “So it took time to figure it out. I just tried to make the game easy rather than hard. Sometimes I got the ball, tried to get to the basket, get a foul, contact and they weren’t giving me that call. I had to go to Plan B: Just shoot the ball.”

Hamilton stopped short of calling Bowen dirty, using “crafty.”

But in his strongest indictment yet, Hamilton said, “He gets away with a lot, man. It’s crazy. The game is basketball. You go out to play basketball. He’s out there hitting you, holding you, tripping you, doing all the things. If he gets away with it, it’s cool. But there’s certain times the refs have to call that.”

Hamilton sounded as if he was planting some seeds. As for his new strategy against Bowen, Hamilton said, “No pump fakes. I pump-faked him in the first quarter, got him off his feet, jumped into him. Automatic foul. They didn’t call it.”

Larry Brown and Pistons GM Joe Dumars decided the Pistons needed to set different types of screens on Bowen in Tuesday’s game.

“Rip is starting to figure out he can’t back him down, do herky-jerky things,” Brown said. “He’s got to do what you do best, come off the screens and shoot the mid-range jump shot.”

Said Hamilton, “I’ll try to frustrate him by running him off screens. I don’t get into a little chopping, hand-fight. I’ll run him off screens and let my [big men] handle it.”

Bowen said he didn’t notice a different Hamilton on Tuesday, noting the Pistons shooting guard needed 23 shots to score 24 points (Hamilton made two of three free throws).

“It’s not a matter of trying to shut him down,” Bowen said. “You can’t. He shoots the ball too much. They go to him too much. If he took that many shots, made only 11, there’s other stuff going on. We’ve got to do a better job taking care of the ball.”

The Spurs committed 18 turnovers, leading to 23 Pistons points.

“We didn’t come as prepared as we should have,” Bowen said. “The mental focus wasn’t there for us.”

Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili, who reinjured his left thigh in the first quarter, were mediocre. Ginobili was held to seven points. Duncan was a placid 5-of-15 for 15 points.

“I don’t want to have back-to-back bad games,” Duncan said.

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Spurs vs. Pistons

At a glance

Game Date Site Time/Res TV/Series

Game 1 June 9 San Antonio SA, 84-69 SA, 1-0

Game 2 June 11 San Antonio SA, 97-76 SA, 2-0

Game 3 Tuesday Detroit DET, 96-79 SA, 2-1

Game 4 Tonight Detroit 9 p.m. Ch. 7

Game 5 Sunday Detroit 9 p.m. Ch. 7

Game 6* June 21 San Antonio 9 p.m. Ch. 7

Game 7* June 23 San Antonio 9 p.m. Ch. 7

*if necessary Radio: ESPN(1050AM)