Alec Burks scored five of his 27 points in overtime as the visiting Detroit Pistons defeated the Charlotte Hornets 141-134 in a matchup between the two teams with the worst records in the NBA on Wednesday night.
The Pistons halted a three-game skid with Killian Hayes adding 25 points and Bojan Bogdanovic scoring 24 points. All this spoiled the return to action for Charlotte’s LaMelo Ball.
Ball’s return from his second extensive injury-related absence of the season resulted in 23 points and 11 assists for the third-year point guard. Charlotte’s losing stretch is at six games.
Isaiah Stewart had 19 points for the Pistons, with Kevin Knox II providing 17 points and Jaden Ivey supplying 13 points.
Kelly Oubre Jr.’s 28 points led the Hornets, while Terry Rozier used a big second half to end up with 25. Jalen McDaniels posted 21 points, P.J. Washington had 13 points and Mason Plumlee produced 12 points and 18 rebounds.
Ball had played in just three games and none since Nov. 16. He had missed the past 11 games with an ailing left ankle.
Perhaps fittingly, the teams played a game that was tightly contested for the most part.
Consecutive dunks by Stewart put the Pistons up 117-113. Rozier poured in the next seven points to allow Charlotte to grab the lead.
Then it was the Pistons’ turn for an 8-0 run, beginning and ending on 3-pointers from Hayes. Rozier halted that momentum with a pair of free throws to trim the gap to 125-122 with 1:25 to play. After a Bogdanovic free throw, Rozier canned a 3-pointer.
Jalen Duren made just one of two free throws on Detroit’s next possession, so Plumlee’s tip-in tied the score with 12.6 seconds left. Bogdanovic and Rozier both missed potential winning shots, so overtime was needed.
Detroit led 73-69 at halftime and then used a huge third quarter to expand the advantage before holding a 107-97 edge going to the fourth quarter.
Ball hit back-to-back 3-pointers early in the final quarter to bring the Hornets within five.
It took less than 2 1/2 minutes into the quarter for the Hornets to drain four 3s, with McDaniels’ long launch tying it, 111-111, at the 9:31 mark.
–Field Level Media
