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    • The Detroit Pistons were defeated by the Charlotte Hornets 108-107 at the buzzer-beater
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    The Detroit Pistons were defeated by the Charlotte Hornets 108-107 at the buzzer-beater

    Madoc Meredith Posted on

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    In a back-and-forth game that went down to the final whistle, the Detroit Pistons failed.

    Rookie forward Ron Holland delivered a game-winning layup with 6.3 seconds left in the fourth quarter, forced Brandon Miller into a turnover, drove himself the length of the court and finished off a layup in transition to give the Pistons a pass to take the lead, 107-106.

    But Miller won the game for the Charlotte Hornets by converting on a missed 3-point attempt by Grant Williams as time expired. The Pistons lost 108-107 on the road to the Hornets and fell to 3-6 overall this season.

    FIND YOUR SHAPE: The Detroit Pistons lean on their defense. It leads to victories

    The Pistons led by as many as nine in the second quarter, but were marred by poor performances from beyond the arc (31.3%) and at the line (5 of 9). They were led by Jaden Ivey (21 points, five assists) and Cade Cunningham (20 points, 10 assists, 10 rebounds), who recorded his second triple-double in a row with 17 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists in the 115 game on Monday scored -103 in victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.

    Miles Bridges, a Flint native and Michigan State graduate, led the Hornets with 27 points, and LaMelo Ball finished the game with 25 points, eight assists and six rebounds and delivered two late 3-pointers for a 101-98 lead Pistons tied game with 2:17 left.

    Pistons lose Jalen Duren; Paul Reed steps forward

    Just 63 seconds into the game, Duren twisted his ankle while falling from a jump and was visibly in pain afterwards. He kept going, playing 7:31 before finally exiting at the end of the quarter. The Pistons officially ruled out the 6-foot-2 center at halftime.

    Duren has suffered injuries to both ankles in the past, suffering multiple sprains in his three seasons. He missed 15 games as a rookie and 19 last season and could miss even more time depending on the verdict after Wednesday’s game.

    The injury paved the way for Reed, who played a key role for the Pistons in the second half. He scored eight of his 13 points in the fourth quarter, with two dunks and a pair of hooks, to give the Pistons a 93-90 cushion midway through the quarter. He made all six of his field goal attempts.

    His defensive energy and hustle around the rim enlivened the Pistons after a lethargic start to the third quarter. Reed played in all 82 games as Joel Embiid’s primary backup with the Philadelphia 76ers last season and is considered a capable backup depending on the extent of Duren’s injury.

    Ron Holland finds touch from outside

    Holland, the No. 5 overall pick in June, had only one of his 16 attempts hit in three this season as of Wednesday. That included an 0-for-5 performance in Monday’s win over the Lakers, in which he missed all five goals while open from a corner.

    In the end, despite the missed 3s, it was the rookie’s best game of the season as he finished with 12 points and scored key minutes in the fourth quarter as the Pistons withstood a Lakers rally.

    “I’ve been shooting the ball since I was a little kid, so I’m not going to go into the game thinking I can’t shoot or hesitating,” Holland said. “I put in the work. Me and Fred ((Vincent) talked a lot, was in the gym a lot, and at the end of the day he needs a film. I go out and shoot the right shots, and if it’s the right shot and the right position, I take it. “

    Holland had another milestone Wednesday night when he knocked down his first two 3-point attempts. The first attempt to make a three-point step over a defender was one of his most difficult attempts of the season. The coaching staff trusted him again in the fourth quarter and he nearly delivered the game-winning layup before Miller tipped in.

    It’s been a week of growth for the 19-year-old forward, who is finding ways to be productive despite his poor outside shooting. Behind the scenes, he has worked with the coaching staff to improve his consistency. Against the Hornets, he finally saw the work begin to pay off.

    (MUST WATCH: We’ll be talking Pistons live on YouTube starting Sunday at 8 p.m. Tune in and join the chat. Make The Pistons Pulse your favorite Detroit Pistons podcast, available wherever you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify) or watch live/on-demand on YouTube. )

    Contact Omari Sankofa II at [email protected]. Follow him @omarisankofa.

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    Madoc Meredith
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