These are the games the Charlotte Hornets have to win - against Eastern Conference peers - to break a two-season streak of missing the playoffs.
Sunday, the got beyond an emotional overtime loss to the Philadelphia 76ers and put away the Detroit Pistons on the road 113-103.
This time the frustration came from Pistons star Blake Griffin, who committed a flagrant foul in the fourth quarter that ended his work day. Griffin, the NBA’s 10th-leading scorer averaging 25.4 points, shot 4-of-16 for 10 points. Center Andre Drummond and former North Carolina guard Reggie Bullock had 23 each for the Pistons (6-6).
The Hornets (7-6) got 24 points from Tony Parker off the bench, matching Kemba Walker’s 24, plus eight assists.
The Hornets complete a three-game road trip Tuesday in Cleveland.
Three who mattered
Walker: In addition to his scoring, he frequently raked down on Blake Griffin defensively to throw off drives and post-ups.
Parker: He got to the rim with ease and gave Walker a lot of court time not having to be the primary ballhandler.
Andre Drummond: What a prolific rebounder.
Observations
▪ The Hornets lost reserve forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist for the game Sunday when he suffered a right ankle sprain in the second quarter. The Hornets have been quite fortunate so far this season with injuries - they have yet to lose a player’s availability for an entire game.
▪ .Odd statistic from the first half: The Hornets shot 51 percent from the field despite making just two of their 14 attempts from 3-point range.
▪ In his pre-game media availability, Hornets coach James Borrego vented some renewed frustration with the officiating late in Friday’s overtime road loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. The NBA acknowledged Saturday that the referees missed a traveling call against Sixers center Joel Embiiid in the last minute of regulation before Embiid made a 3-pointer to tie the game with 34 seconds left.
▪ Despite an impressive 15-point performance in 23 unexpected minutes Friday in Philadelphia, Dwayne Bacon wasn’t in the Hornets’ rotation in the first half..
▪ Reserve center Frank Kaminsky, who had one five-game appearance in the previous five games, was designated inactive Sunday.
Worth mentioning
▪ The Hornets recalled rookie Devonte Graham from the G League Greensboro Swarm after Graham scored 38 points in the Swarm’s home opener Saturday night. That was Graham’s second stint with the Swarm to get the point guard from Kansas game minutes..
▪ Griffin was ejected for a flagrant foul in the fourth quarter after receiving a technical foul earlier in the game.
▪ Pistons reserve center Zaza Pachulia is the last active NBA player the then-Bobcats selected in the 2004 expansion draft. Pachulia never played for the Bobcats; he was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks for a second-round pick in a prearranged deal.
They said it
“It’s frustrating - especially in the last two minutes (of regulation) - the biggest plays and the biggest moments of an NBA game - to have those types of errors and the NBA acknowledged it.” – Borrego on the officiating late in the overtime loss in Philadelphia.
Report card
B OFFENSE: They overcame some bad first-half shooting from 3-point range with strong ball movement.
B+ DEFENSE: The help defense on Griffin appeared to throw him off, without giving up easy baskets to others.
A COACHING: Nice regrouping after an emotional, frustrating loss in Philadelphia.
Charlotte | Min | FG-A | FT-A | R | F | Pt |
Batum | 34:07 | 2-6 | 0-0 | 8 | 3 | 5 |
Williams | 27:27 | 3-9 | 1-2 | 4 | 2 | 10 |
Zeller | 31:30 | 5-11 | 4-4 | 6 | 6 | 14 |
Lamb | 23:19 | 4-6 | 0-0 | 6 | 4 | 10 |
Walker | 36:03 | 9-17 | 4-4 | 3 | 1 | 24 |
Parker | 27:51 | 11-18 | 0-0 | 3 | 2 | 24 |
Bridges | 23:45 | 3-4 | 2-2 | 8 | 1 | 8 |
Monk | 17:55 | 0-5 | 4-4 | 5 | 2 | 4 |
Hernangomez | 13:03 | 4-6 | 0-0 | 3 | 4 | 9 |
Kidd-Gilchrist | 4:38 | 2-3 | 1-2 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
Bacon | 0:22 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Graham | 0:00 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Totals | 240:00 | 43-85 | 16-18 | 46 | 26 | 113 |
Percentages: FG .506, FT .889. 3-Point Goals: 11-28, .393 (Williams 3-7, Lamb 2-2, Parker 2-2, Walker 2-5, Hernangomez 1-2, Batum 1-4, Bridges 0-1, Kidd-Gilchrist 0-1, Zeller 0-1, Monk 0-3). Team Rebounds: 8. Team Turnovers: 12 (19 PTS). Blocked Shots: 8 (Zeller 3, Kidd-Gilchrist 2, Batum, Bridges, Hernangomez). Turnovers: 12 (Batum 3, Hernangomez 2, Parker 2, Bridges, Lamb, Monk, Walker, Zeller). Steals: 6 (Batum 2, Lamb 2, Williams 2). Technical Fouls: Walker, 2:09 fourth.
Detroit | Min | FG-A | FT-A | R | F | Pt |
Griffin | 30:26 | 4-16 | 2-3 | 6 | 3 | 10 |
Robinson III | 22:05 | 2-9 | 0-0 | 2 | 0 | 5 |
Drummond | 36:41 | 9-16 | 5-7 | 22 | 5 | 23 |
Bullock | 34:21 | 7-13 | 3-3 | 3 | 1 | 23 |
Jackson | 32:12 | 6-15 | 5-6 | 3 | 3 | 19 |
Smith | 25:26 | 3-12 | 0-0 | 2 | 3 | 7 |
Galloway | 24:59 | 4-9 | 0-0 | 4 | 2 | 10 |
Johnson | 17:27 | 2-9 | 0-0 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
Pachulia | 9:29 | 1-2 | 0-0 | 5 | 1 | 2 |
Calderon | 6:54 | 0-3 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Totals | 240:00 | 38-104 | 15-19 | 51 | 18 | 103 |
Percentages: FG .365, FT .789. 3-Point Goals: 12-45, .267 (Bullock 6-9, Galloway 2-6, Jackson 2-8, Robinson III 1-6, Smith 1-6, Calderon 0-2, Johnson 0-3, Griffin 0-5). Team Rebounds: 9. Team Turnovers: 10 (14 PTS). Blocked Shots: 4 (Drummond 2, Griffin, Robinson III). Turnovers: 10 (Jackson 4, Griffin 3, Drummond 2, Pachulia). Steals: 5 (Drummond 3, Bullock, Johnson). Technical Fouls: Griffin, 9:03 third.
Charlotte | 24 | 27 | 32 | 30 | — | 113 |
Detroit | 27 | 22 | 26 | 28 | — | 103 |
Att.—15,133 (20,491). T—2:16.
Officials—Nick Buchert, Scott Wall, Tony Brothers