Three quick observations from Tuesday night’s 112-89 win over the Charlotte Hornets
SLAM DUNK – Charlotte took its first lead at 4:09 of the second quarter on a play that felt like it symbolized the frustration the Pistons have endured this season on the road, where they carried a 1-8 record into tipoff. The Pistons, who led 13-2 to start the game and were up 46-38 midway through the second quarter, saw Charlotte pull within three points before the possession that left them justifiably feeling a little snakebit.
It appeared routine under-the-basket jostling when the officials whistled play to a stop on Kemba Walker’s game-tying triple, but a review wound up tagging Andre Drummond with a flagrant-two foul, warranting an automatic ejection. Momentarily wobbled, the Pistons fell behind 52-48, but closed the half on a 9-2 run and never trailed. They pushed the lead back to 10 after three quarters and then put it out of reach with an 11-2 run to open the fourth quarter.That leaves the Pistons at 2-1 over their last three games to start a brutal five-game stretch against all winning teams, the last four on the road.
They’ll wrap it up with games at Boston and Atlanta to complete the road trip. With Reggie Jackson’s return imminent – unlikely against the Celtics or Hawks – but Sunday’s return home against Orlando could be a target date, every win the Pistons bank now is invaluable. Tobias Harris scored 24 points on just 12 shots while grabbing seven rebounds. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope had 18 points, seven boards and seven assists.
FREE THROW – Stanley Johnson got the call for backup wing minutes over Darrun Hilliard as Stan Van Gundy continues to search for a solution in a muddled picture. Johnson played eight first-half minutes and registered zeroes across the board, save for one turnover. Hilliard got the call in the second half, starting the fourth quarter and was on the floor when the Pistons essentially iced the win during the 11-2 spurt.
He contributed five of those points, draining a corner three and then converting a steal into a layup. Van Gundy responded to Drummond’s ejection by using Jon Leuer at center with the starters. That made sense on two levels: It allowed Van Gundy to use his best players more, rather than elevate Boban Marjanovic to the second unit and use Baynes in Drummond’s stead; and it gave the Pistons better matchups with Leuer paired against Zeller, a more perimeter-oriented big man, and leaving Baynes to go against the 7-foot-2, 270-pound Hibbert. Hilliard finished with five points and Johnson, who entered for the final two minutes of the rout, with two.
3-POINTER – Even though the Pistons hadn’t played since Saturday, nobody in the Eastern Conference had played more than the 18 games they had at tipoff in Charlotte and only three others – Indiana, Philadelphia and Atlanta – had played as many games as the Pistons. Charlotte, which was playing its fourth game in five nights, still has played one fewer game than the Pistons. The Pistons will play their fifth back to back of the season on Wednesday in Boston, giving them 20 games before November’s close.
They’re 1-3 so far on the second night of back-to-back sets, winning at Denver Nov. 12 but losing at Brooklyn, at home to Boston and at Oklahoma City. The Pistons play 16 back to backs this season, down from 20 last year and 22 two seasons ago – both tied for the league high. The Pistons have one occasion where they’ll play four games in five nights this season, coming at the end of March. Did Charlotte’s second-half performance reveal the fatigue of a team playing its fourth game in five nights? The Hornets scored just 35 points after halftime on 33 percent shooting.
