By Sam Perley, hornets.com
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Result
Even with their offense struggling to knock down shots, a sensational defensive outing helped the Hornets tally a hard-fought 87-77 win over the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday, Dec. 7 in Charlotte. Marvin Williams returned from a six-game absence and was a major factor on the defensive end once again, helping Charlotte hold its opponent to a season-low point total. The victory was the Hornets fifth win in their last seven contests and also snapped a two-game skid against Detroit.
Turning Point
Leading 75-73 at the 4:47 mark of the fourth quarter, the Hornets rolled off a quick 8-0 run to open up a double-digit advantage over the Pistons with just over three minutes remaining in the game that ultimately put things out of reach for the visitors. Kemba Walker and Marco Belinelli combined to score all but three of the team’s 26 points in the frame as the Hornets closed out the Pistons for their second-straight win.
Hornets Player of the Game
Kemba Walker had another marvelous night for Charlotte as he tallied a team-high 25 points (18 in the second half), three rebounds, a team-high four assists and two steals in the win. This is Walker’s 17th game of the season with 20-or-more points, which is currently the fourth-highest total in the Eastern Conference.
Pistons Player of the Game
Andre Drummond had a monstrous performance for Detroit, finishing with game-high totals in both scoring (26 points) and rebounding (20) for his 16th double-double of the season. This is Drummond’s 11th game with 20-or-more points and 20-or-more rebounds since the start of the 2012-13 NBA season, which is the most in the league during this time frame.
Game Notes
Nicolas Batum recorded his career-high-tying third-consecutive double-double, finishing with 14 points, a team-high 15 rebounds and three assists… Marvin Williams tallied 12 points and five rebounds in his first appearance since Nov. 25… Marco Belinelli tacked on 13 points, five rebounds and two steals off the bench… The Hornets turned the ball over just six times, leading to two Detroit points while the Pistons had 13 giveaways leading to 15 points for the Hornets… Detroit edged out Charlotte on the boards, 57-51… The Hornets drained 21-of-29 free-throw attempts (72.4 percent) while the Pistons hit just 5-of-8 from the line (62.5 percent).
Quote of the Night
““It was a hard-fought game. I think both teams defensively were very good. I thought Kemba [Walker] obviously [played well] late, but I thought Marco [Belinelli] was instrumental in giving us a chance to get our offense going.They are hard to play against. We missed shots, but we struggled to get good shots. Their defense is really good. We’re seven and six at home. We have a day to get ready for Friday [against Orlando] which is an important game.” -Steve Clifford
Quote of the Night
““It was a hard-fought game. I think both teams defensively were very good. I thought Kemba [Walker] obviously [played well] late, but I thought Marco [Belinelli] was instrumental in giving us a chance to get our offense going.They are hard to play against. We missed shots, but we struggled to get good shots. Their defense is really good. We’re seven and six at home. We have a day to get ready for Friday [against Orlando] which is an important game.” -Steve Clifford
Next Up
The Hornets conclude their two-game homestand against the Orlando Magic at 7 p.m.
on Friday, Dec. 9 in Charlotte. The game can be seen on FOX Sports Southeast or heard on WFNZ or on the official Charlotte Hornets mobile app.
next up
Friday Dec 9 - 7:00 pmSpectrum Center, Charlotte, NC
Fox Sports Southeast - Charlotte Hornets App & WFNZ 610 AM