DETROIT — In an exciting match-up on Friday night, the Detroit Pistons edged out the Charlotte Hornets with a score of 98-94, marking their fifth victory in six games.
Tobias Harris was a standout performer for the Pistons, contributing 24 points along with 10 rebounds.
Cade Cunningham also played a significant role with 18 points, while Jalen Duren added a double-double of 10 points and 14 rebounds.
For Charlotte, Miles Bridges led the scoring with 20 points, and Mark Williams contributed 18 points, but the team is now on a disappointing nine-game losing streak.
The Pistons maintained a slight advantage in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Hornets 14-12 despite struggling with their shooting.
Detroit managed to hit just 30% of their attempts (6 of 20), while Charlotte fared even worse at 21.1% (4 for 19).
Charlotte’s struggles were evident as they started the fourth quarter by missing 11 of their first 12 shots, coupled with five turnovers that allowed Detroit to pull ahead 92-85 with 4:30 remaining.
Although the Pistons continued to commit fouls—a recurring issue during the game—Charlotte was unable to capitalize, making only two of their first seven free throw attempts in the quarter.
In terms of offensive rebounds, Charlotte struggled, managing only nine compared to Detroit’s 14.
This game was the Pistons’ first since Jaden Ivey suffered a broken leg during a previous matchup against Orlando.
In response, Wendell Moore Jr. started at shooting guard but did not add to the scoreline in his 15 minutes on the court.
Malik Beasley, expected to take on a larger role, ended the night with 12 points over 31 minutes of play.
A key moment occurred when the Pistons found themselves trailing 47-46 with just 4:45 left in the second quarter.
Charlotte launched an impressive 11-2 run, capped off by a long 3-pointer from Bridges that extended their lead to 65-52 at halftime.
The Pistons responded beautifully, outscoring the Hornets 32-17 in the third quarter, setting the stage for their victory.
Even though Charlotte was forced to foul three times in the final minute, they managed only 10 fouls compared to Detroit’s 27 throughout the game.
Unfortunately for the Hornets, they missed a significant opportunity by failing to convert on 11 of 30 free throws.
Looking ahead, the Hornets will continue their road trip on Sunday against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Meanwhile, the Pistons will be looking to build on their success as they finish a home back-to-back match-up against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday.
