• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Hornets attempt to put stinger in Pistons

Feb 10, 2015 - 3:02 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The Charlotte Hornets will try to stem a two-game slide Tuesday night when they welcome the Detroit Pistons to Time Warner Cable Arena.

After a three-game winning streak, the Hornets have dropped two in a row, one on the road, one at home. They fell in Philadelphia to the 76ers on Saturday, then lost to the Indiana Pacers at home on Sunday.

George Hill's layup with 4.9 seconds left helped the Pacers complete a remarkable comeback for a 103-102 win. Indiana erased a 21-point deficit in the third quarter to get a third straight win.

Hill was left alone near the left block because Cody Zeller held up to look for his man and Brian Roberts appeared to trail the play, thinking Zeller would pick up Hill. The play ended with Hill converting the open floater, and Roberts missed a desperation heave from just inside midcourt as time expired.

Al Jefferson supplied 30 points with 13 rebounds and Roberts tallied 19 points for the Hornets. Gerald Henderson (13), Gary Neal (11) and Marvin Williams (10) rounded out the double-figure scorers.

Charlotte led by 17 at the half, but Indiana won the third by nine to close the gap to 83-75 after three quarters.

"We came out to start the third quarter with nothing," said Hornets coach Steve Clifford. "We regrouped and rebuilt the lead, then the last four or five minutes of the third was probably the worst basketball we've played all year."

The Pistons have lost two of their last three and five in a row on the road. Big picture, Detroit has taken three of its previous five.

On Sunday, the Pistons fell at home to the Minnesota Timberwolves, 112-101.

Detroit lost to Minnesota for a 10th straight time despite getting 20 points and eight assists from D.J. Augustin. Andre Drummond totaled 17 points with 14 rebounds, while Greg Monroe, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Anthony Tolliver each scored 15.

Minnesota's lead was down to four points twice early in the final period, but Minnesota was able to rebuild its advantage. With five minutes to play, the Pistons were down nine when coach Stan Van Gundy was hit with a technical foul after a call on Monroe.

Martin hit the technical free throw and that started a 7-0 run that restored a comfortable lead. Detroit would not get closer than eight points the rest of the way.

"They're way better than their record shows," said Monroe. "We have to come out and play better."

Tuesday's matchup will be the first of four this season between the two teams. The Hornets swept all three meetings last season, but the Pistons are 4-1 in their last five in Charlotte.