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    • Pistons lose at buzzer to Hornets after Holland’s clutch shot
    Idaho

    Pistons lose at buzzer to Hornets after Holland’s clutch shot

    Madoc Meredith Posted on

    Detroit – The Detroit Pistons’ two-game winning streak ended with a 108-107 loss to the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center on Wednesday night. The last time the Pistons won three games in a row was in March 2022 when they defeated the Toronto Raptors, Indiana Pacers and Atlanta Hawks. They finished the 2021-22 season with a record of 23-59.

    Jaden Ivey made two free throws that gave the Pistons a 103-101 lead with 1:08 left in the fourth quarter. However, All-Star guard LaMelo Ball scored five of the Hornets’ final seven points. His run began with a 3-point field goal that gave the Hornets a one-point lead with 55.0 seconds left.

    Ivey’s dunk on the next possession cut the Hornets’ lead to one point with 21.0 seconds left. On Charlotte’s next possession, Ron Holland II got a steal and converted the takeaway into a layup with six seconds left.

    Brandon Miller then recorded a game-winning tip-in at the buzzer after Grant Williams missed the triple. Miller scored 19 points and six rebounds. Ball added 25 points, eight assists and six rebounds. Former Michigan State prospect Miles Bridges scored a game-high 27 points before leaving the game because of his injury.

    Amid an inefficient shooting night, Cade Cunningham led the Pistons with 20 points on 9 of 23 shooting and 0 of 4 from behind the arc. Given his blistering start, Cunningham’s performance was subpar at best. In the first quarter, Cunningham shot 6 of 8 from the field and scored 12 points.

    The Pistons had a 24-23 lead early in the second period. Despite his shooting, Cunningham recorded his second straight triple-double by adding 10 rebounds and 10 assists.

    Jalen Duren’s night ended early after he suffered a left ankle injury two minutes into the game. He tried a rebound.

    After a 30-second timeout, Duren played six more minutes before being substituted for Isaiah Stewart. However, the Pistons ruled out their third-year big man after a halftime evaluation when Detroit trailed Charlotte 46-45.

    Although Stewart started in the second half, Paul Reed played a major role in helping Detroit fill Duren’s vacancy with 13 points on 6 of 6 shooting, two rebounds, two steals and a block in 12 minutes. He scored eight points in the fourth quarter.

    Duren was the first of two injury scares the Pistons suffered against the Hornets. Ivey briefly left the game early in the fourth period with an apparent shin injury, but returned at 6:34. He scored a game-high 21 points as well as five assists and four rebounds.

    Next

    The Pistons will play three home games and face the Hawks on Friday night. Their home court will host games against the Houston Rockets (Sunday) and Miami Heat (Tuesday), which also mark the start of the Emirates NBA Cup 2024. Tipoff between the Pistons and Hawks is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Little Caesars Arena

    Observations vs. Hornets

    ▶ Is Ron Holland starting to put Fred Vinson’s teachings to good use?

    Since the start of training camp, Ron Holland II, along with assistant coach Fred Vinson, has spent nearly every day of practice working on his 3-point shooting. Because of the endless training, Holland hasn’t shied away from attempting 3-point shots, and through the first eight games, the G League Ignite rookie prospect shot 1 of 16.

    Against the Hornets, Holland showed his best shooting performance of his young career. He shot 2 of 3 from behind the arc en route to an eight-point win. Although the number of participants was small, Holland provided insight into the benefits of training with Vinson as a shooting coach.

    ▶ Are the Pistons improving their turnover problems?

    Although the Pistons lost, they had their best game of the season in terms of ball security. Detroit recorded a season-low 10 giveaways and gave up five points to the Hornets. Turnovers have been a major problem for the Pistons through the first seven games of the season, averaging 18.3. However, Detroit has posted 11.5 in its last two games – the sixth-lowest mark in the league.

    ▶ Why can’t Cade Cunningham keep his score?

    Cade Cunningham was on fire to open the game against the Hornets, and there was a moment when it looked like he was nearing the end of his career. However, he shot 3 of 15 for the rest of the game, scoring eight points. Cunningham’s performance against the Hornets marked the third time this season that his scoring dropped significantly after a hot half or quarter.

    In the season opener against the Indiana Pacers, Cunningham scored 18 points in the third period, but shot 1 of 6 and scored four points later. Against the Miami Heat, he scored 18 points while shooting 6 of 6 from the field. Cunningham finished the game with 24 after shooting 3 of 12 in the second half. The Pistons lost both games.

    With a 22.9-point average and two triple-doubles, Cunningham is off to a solid start to his fourth career season, but will need to find a way to keep his scoring up for a full game.

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    Madoc Meredith
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