Friday, March 29

Detroit Pistons beat Charlotte Hornets, 127-126, in overtime


A back-and-forth game nearly ended in disaster for the Detroit Pistons. With the score tied at 116 with 4.1 seconds left, Jerami Grant’s inbounds pass was picked off by Lamelo Ball. The Charlotte Hornets star immediately launched a long two-pointer that missed the mark, allowing the game to go into overtime.

Instead of disaster, the game ended in triumph for the Pistons. Kelly Olynyk knocked down a midrange shot at the overtime buzzer to give the Pistons (15-46) a thrilling 127-126 victory over the Hornets, snapping a 15-game losing streak against the Eastern Conference foe.

Saddiq Bey (28 points, eight rebounds), Jerami Grant (26 points), Olynyk (20 points, eight rebounds) and Cade Cunningham (19 points, six assists) all had clutch moments for the Pistons down the stretch. Isaiah Stewart (seven points, 11 rebounds, two blocks), Hamidou Diallo (13 points) and Killian Hayes (six points, seven assists) also gave Detroit a lift.

Terry Rozier (33 points) and Michigan State alumnus Miles Bridges (29 points, 10 rebounds) led the Hornets.

FOUL PLAY:How Cunningham’s early foul trouble became Pistons’ crunch-time problem

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Grant takes over in overtime

Grant’s turnover at the end of the fourth prevented the Pistons from taking the final shot, but he did his part to make up for it in overtime. He scored seven of Detroit’s 11 points in the final period and assisted a long 2-pointer by Bey. Other than a turnover while trying to kick out a Bey with 45 seconds remaining, Grant was the primary reason why Detroit was able to keep pace with Charlotte.

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