By Sam Perley, hornets.com
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The Result
The Hornets couldn’t get back on track against the Pistons as a rough end to the season continued with a 116-77 loss on Sunday, Apr. 12 in Detroit, which sent Charlotte to its fourth-straight defeat. Looking to end the year on a positive note after Friday’s disappointing loss in Atlanta officially eliminated them from playoff contention, the injury-plagued Hornets just didn’t have anything left in the tank against the Pistons, who outscored Charlotte, 59-34, in the first half. Noah Vonleh had the best performance of his young career finishing with a team-high 16 points for the Hornets while Jodie Meeks notched 24 points to lead the hometown Pistons.
Turning Points
Charlotte was throughly outplayed by Detroit the entire first quarter and ultimately outscored, 30-10, which gave the Pistons a sizable, early advantage that was neither relinquished nor threatened the rest of the game. Andre Drummond led Detroit with eight points and 11 rebounds in the frame, the later of which was four more than the entire Hornets team could muster. The Pistons also connected on 13-of-24 field-goal attempts (54.2 percent) in the first quarter while the Hornets made just 4-of-19 (21.1 percent) from the field as they went on to lose their season-high-tying sixth-straight road game.
Inside the Box Score
Noah Vonleh led the Hornets in both points (16) and rebounds (12), which were also both the highest totals of his career… Gerald Henderson scored in double figures for the fifth time in seven games, finishing with 14 points along two rebounds, two assists and a season-high-tying three steals… Brian Roberts tallied 11 points and three assists off the bench and has now scored in double figures in two of his last three games… Jeff Taylor notched 10 points for his first double-digit scoring performance since Feb. 10… Kemba Walker chipped in seven points on 2-of-11 shooting and a team-high seven assists… Jodie Meeks scored a game-high 24 points off the bench to lead the Pistons… Greg Monroe and Anthony Tolliver each finished with 17 points while Andre Drummond (15), Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (10) and Shawne Williams (10) also reached double figures…. Drummond also pulled down a game-high 19 rebounds for his fifth-consecutive double-double… Reggie Jackson managed just five points on 1-of-7 shooting from the field but did dish out a game-high 13 assists… Detroit dominated Charlotte on the boards, 56-33… The Pistons drained 41-of-81 field-goal attempts (50.6 percent) while the Hornets connected on just 27-of-79 shots from the field (34.2 percent).
Hornets Player of the Game
Noah Vonleh gave Hornets fans a glimpse into the future with a career high in both points (16) and rebounds (12) for his first double-double as an NBA player. The rookie from Indiana also connected on a career-high 6-of-11 attempts from the field and has now recorded six-or-more rebounds in four of his last five games.
Pistons Player of the Game
Andre Drummond had his way with the Hornets down low tallying 15 points, a game-high 19 rebounds, a career-high-tying four assists and a team-high two blocks to lead the Pistons in the win. Drummond has now recorded 47 double-doubles on the season which is tied for second overall in the NBA with DeMarcus Cousins of the Sacramento Kings.
Game Notes
Charlotte has lost 14 of its last 19 games and all but one of its last ten road games… With Detroit’s win, the teams split the season series, 2-2… the Hornets have now scored under 70 points three times this season.
Next Up
The Hornets will play their final home this season against the Rockets on Monday, Apr. 13 at 7:00 p.m. in Charlotte. The game can be seen on FOX SportsSouth or heard on WFNZ or on the official Charlotte Hornets mobile app.