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Hornets rout Pistons behind strong shooting display

Feb 12, 2013 - 6:50 AM Auburn Hills, MI (Sports Network) - Ryan Anderson made five 3-pointers en route to a 31-point effort as the New Orleans Hornets dumped the Detroit Pistons, 105-86, at the Palace of Auburn Hills.

With one of their best scoring threats, Eric Gordon, sitting out the second game of a back-to-back, the Hornets shot an impressive 49 percent from the field in winning for the third time in four games.

Robin Lopez added 23 points and 10 rebounds, while Al-Farouq Aminu chipped in 12 points and 14 boards for New Orleans, which made 10-of-21 from long distance and 13-of-14 from the foul line.

"The way he played in the paint defensively was tremendous," Hornets head coach Monty Williams said of Lopez.

The Pistons had a successful weekend with wins over the Spurs and Bucks, but regressed Monday by shooting 36 percent from the field. Rodney Stuckey had a team-high 19 points and Greg Monroe recorded a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds.

The Pistons scored the game's first eight points, but New Orleans answered right back with a 14-3 run to take the lead, which wound up being the only time the lead changed hands the entire contest.

Lopez was especially effective in the opening frame, hitting all five of his field goal attempts for 13 points in leading the visitors to a 27-23 edge.

Detroit hit a rough patch on the offensive end in the second stanza, as it went nearly eight minutes without making a field goal. Anderson made two 3- pointers in the final minute of the half, including one right before the buzzer that gave the Hornets a 55-41 advantage.

The margin stretched to 20 late in the third quarter, and the closest the hosts got in the fourth was a dozen.

A Stuckey layup off a Jose Calderon steal in the backcourt pulled Detroit within 94-82 with under four minutes remaining, but Anderson and Roger Mason Jr. countered with 3-pointers to send the Hornets back to New Orleans on a positive note just in time for "Fat Tuesday."

"When we really need a bucket, (Anderson's) got such great touch and great instincts. He's a really smart player and makes it a lot easier on us," Lopez said.

Game Notes

The Pistons had won three in a row at home against the Hornets ... Charlie Villanueva, who had totaled 39 points and 21 rebounds over Detroit's previous two games, was limited to five points and six boards ... Greivis Vasquez doled out a game-high 13 assists to go with nine points for the Hornets.