The Detroit Pistons (6-12) lost to the Charlotte Hornets (7-12) in another close match-up 102-101. The Pistons have lost to the Hornets eight straight times, with the last two games coming down to the wire.
The Hornets started the game off on an 11-3 run. Pistons were able to recover the early onslaught and scored the final five points to take a 32-31 lead to end the first quarter. Hornets started the game off going 9-for-10 from the floor but finished the quarter making only 2-of-12 shots.
The Hornets shooting woes from beyond the arch continued in the second quarter after starting the game off making 3-of-6 from the three-point line. The Hornets were only able to make 1-of-9 three-pointers from the floor in the second quarter. The Hornets finished the first half going 4-for-17 from behind the three-point line and the Pistons were able to go into the half with a 60-55 lead. Pistons All-Star forward Blake Griffin and third-year guard Luke Kennard each scored 12 points in the first half. Hornets forward Nicolas Batum led all scorers with 13 at the half
The Hornets started the third quarter on fire by going on a 10-0 run. Blake Griffin brought the Pistons back into contention by hitting two three-pointers after missing his first five attempts from distance tonight to give the Pistons a 78-74 lead midway through the third quarter. Hornets rookie forward PJ Washington played only four minutes in the first half due to foul troubles but came alive for the Hornets in the third quarter by scoring nine points in the quarter to help give the Hornets an 86-80 lead to end the third quarter.
Pistons opened the fourth quarter with a Markieff Morris slam to cut the lead to four, but a couple of slam dunks from PJ Washington gave the Hornets a 90-82 lead. Washington leads all rookies this season in slam dunks as of this writing. The Pistons and Hornets went back in forth in the fourth and this game came down to the wire. Luke Kennard made a shot off of a Derrick Rose assist to cut the Hornets lead to four with 1:52 left in the fourth, which brought the score to 102-98. Blake Griffin then made a three-point shot with 42 seconds remaining to cut the deficit to just one. The Pistons got the ball back but weren’t able to get a shot off in time.
Blake Griffin led all scorers tonight. Griffin finished with 26 points for the night while grabbing six rebounds. Luke Kennard finished with 16 points. Pistons center Andre Drummond came close to a triple-double in tonight’s defeat, scoring 14 points while grabbing 21 rebounds and adding seven assists.
For the Hornets, center Bismack Biyombo led the Hornets in points with 19 while adding nine rebounds and a pair of blocked shots. Hornets guard Devonte’ Graham also flirted with a triple-double of his own tonight, scoring 16 points while adding seven rebounds and dishing out 15 assists. PJ Washington finished tonight’s game with 17 points for the Hornets.
The Pistons will have Thanksgiving off before facing the Hornets again this Friday at 7 PM in a home game. The Pistons will look to snap their current eight-game losing streak to the Hornets.
