By Sam Perley, hornets.com
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Result
An explosive first-half performance helped set the tone for the Hornets as they cruised to an 114-98 victory over the visiting Detroit Pistons on Sunday, Feb. 25 in Charlotte. The hosts got a total of seven double-digit scoring performances in the season-series claiming win, which was highlighted primarily by a decisive 51-28 Charlotte advantage in bench points as well.
Turning Point
With the game tied 13-13 midway through the first quarter, the Hornets unleashed a 38-10 run in roughly 12 minutes of play to take a 28-point lead over the Pistons. Charlotte eventually entered the break up 24 – its largest halftime lead in nearly two years – and never looked back, sending the Pistons to their fifth loss in six games.
Hornets Player of the Game (Pick up your Nicolas Batum gear here)
Nicolas Batum racked up 15 points (4-of-7 from three-point range), five rebounds and game-high marks in both assists (9) and steals (3) in the victory. Batum has now dished out seven-or-more assists in four-straight games for the first time since March 31-April 5, 2017.
Pistons Player of the Game
Andre Drummond tallied 14 points on 7-of-13 shooting and a game-high 14 rebounds for Detroit in the loss. This is Drummond’s 44th double-double of the season, which trails only Minnesota’s Karl-Anthony Towns (53) for the highest total amongst any player in the league this year.
Game Notes
Kemba Walker finished with a team-high-tying 17 points and six assists… Dwight Howard also scored 17 points to go along with a team-high 12 rebounds for his 38th double-double of the season (T-4th most in the NBA)… Frank Kaminsky (13 points), Cody Zeller (13 points) and Jeremy Lamb (11 points) all reached double figures off the bench… Michael Carter-Williams chipped in 10 points and season-high-tying totals in assists (6) and steals (3)… The Hornets connected on 16-of-35 three-point attempts (45.7 percent), while the Pistons went just 4-of-18 from behind the arc (22.2 percent)… Charlotte scored 70-or-more first-half points for the fourth time this season, all of which have come since Jan. 2… This is the longest winning streak for the Hornets since Nov. 2-9, 2016.
Quote of the Night
“I think it’s the way we have played the last four games. The way we start the games is pretty good with more attention on defense, and the second unit is huge for us. The bench guys that came in with the same intensity on offense and defense, we have been good so far.” – Hornets guard Nicolas Batum
Next Up<br
The Hornets will play host to the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday, Feb. 27 in Charlotte. The game can be seen on FOX Sports Southeast or heard on WFNZ or on the official Charlotte Hornets mobile app.