AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- Chauncey Billups had just one thing on his mind after one of the best games of his career: What was the deal with Ben Wallace's clunky red goggles?

"I don't know what that was -- he looked like Blankman," Billups said, referring to Damon Wayans' dorky superhero character in the movie of the same name.

Billups scored 28 points and dished out a career-high 19 assists in the Detroit Pistons' 109-98 win over Sacramento Wednesday.

Wallace started the game wearing goggles, but ditched them midway through the first quarter.

"I'm having problems with my vision, I didn't want to get poked in the eye, it was doctor's orders," he said in a deadpan tone. "I thought the goggles brought the team a lot of energy. We all fed off the goggles."

Billups had a double-double in the first half -- 14 points and 11 assists -- and was almost as good in the final two quarters.

"We just had a great rhythm going," Billups said. "Everyone was knocking down shots."

Pistons coach Flip Saunders thinks that Billups has to be getting closer to his first All-Star appearance.

"When you look at the best point guard in each conference, it is Steve Nash in the West and Chauncey in the East," he said. "And he's probably the one guy in the league at that position who gives you the complete package -- defending, getting guys the ball and scoring."

Mike Bibby, who spent much of the night matched up with Billups, wasn't arguing.

"He's a hell of a player," he said. "I think he's underrated -- he deserves a lot more credit than people give him. He's one of the best in the league."

Many of Billups' assists -- which beat Nash's 17 for the most assists in the league this season -- went to Richard Hamilton, who finished with 36 points.

"With about three or four minutes left, Carlos (Arroyo) told me that I had 17, and I knew that was my career high," he said. "So I just started calling Rip's play over and over."

The Pistons improved to 16-3, tying the 1996-97 team for the best start in franchise history.

The Kings (10-13) had their three-game winning streak snapped.

"Billups and Hamilton were great," Sacramento coach Rick Adelman said. "We got back in the game at halftime, but we really couldn't sustain it. Their guards were too good for us tonight."

Rasheed Wallace added 19 points for Detroit and Ben Wallace had 17 rebounds, 16 without the goggles.

Brad Miller had 16 points and nine rebounds for the Kings, while Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Bibby had 14 each.

The Pistons got off to a quick start, leading 36-23 with 1:37 left in the first, but then went nine minutes without a field goal.

That allowed the Kings to tie the game at 40, but Detroit's starters returned and rallied the team to a 56-48 halftime lead.

Sacramento got as close as 67-66 early in the third, but dunks from the Wallaces helped Detroit pull away.

The Pistons led 83-75 at quarter's end, then scored the first nine points of the fourth to take a 17-point lead. Antonio McDyess hit two jumpers and Billups added a 3-pointer.

Notes

• Bonzi Wells picked up a third-quarter technical for flipping the ball off Hamilton after fouling him.
• The crowd began to chant "Fire Millen," referring to embattled Detroit Lions president Matt Millen, as the Pistons pulled away in the fourth. The chant has also been heard at recent Red Wings and University of Michigan games.
• Isiah Thomas was the last Piston with 19 assists, doing it against Orlando on Feb. 16, 1993.