Hornets stun Pistons on Brandon Miller's buzzer-beating put-back

Coty M. Davis, The Detroit News on Nov 6, 2024

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The Detroit Pistons' two-game win streak ended Wednesday night in a 108-107 buzzer-beating loss to the Charlotte Hornets at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C.

Jaden Ivey drilled a pair of clutch free throws that gave the Pistons a 103-101 lead with 1:08 left in the fourth quarter. However, All-Star guard LaMelo Ball scored five of the Hornets' final seven points down the stretch. His run began with a 3-point field goal that resulted in the Hornets holding a one-point advantage with 55.0 seconds left.

Ivey's dunk cut the Hornets' lead to a point with 21 seconds left. On Charlotte's next possession, Ron Holland II came away with a steal and converted the takeaway into a layup that left six seconds.

Brandon Miller then recorded a game-winning tip-in at the buzzer following Grant Williams' missed triple. Miller recorded 19 points and six rebounds. Ball added 25 points, eight assists and six rebounds. Miles Bridges scored a game-high 27 points before leaving the game with an injury.

Cade Cunningham led the Pistons with 20 points on 9-of-23 shooting, 0 for 4 from behind the arc. During the first quarter, Cunningham shot 6 of 8 from the field while scoring 12 points.

The Pistons held a 24-23 lead entering the second period. Despite his shooting, Cunningham recorded his second consecutive triple-double by adding 10 rebounds and 10 assists.

Jalen Duren's night came to an early end after he sustained a left ankle injury two minutes into the game. He was attempting a rebound.

Following a 30-second timeout, Duren played six more minutes before being subbed out for Isaiah Stewart. However, the Pistons ruled their third-year big man out after an evaluation at halftime, where Detroit trailed Charlotte 46-45 at the half.

Although Stewart started the second half, Paul Reed played a significant role in helping Detroit fill Duren's vacancy with 13 points on 6-of-6 shooting to go along with two rebounds, two steals and a block in 12 minutes. He scored eight fourth-quarter points.

Duren was the first of two injury scares the Pistons sustained against the Hornets. Ivey briefly left with an apparent shin injury early in the fourth period but returned at the 6:34 mark. He scored a game-high 21 points to go along with five assists and four rebounds.

The last time the Pistons won three games in a row was in March 2022, when they defeated the Toronto Raptors, Indiana Pacers and Atlanta Hawks. They finished the 2021-22 season with a 23-59 record.

Up next

The Pistons will embark on a three-game homestand, starting Friday night against the Hawks. Their homestand will feature games against the Houston Rockets (Sunday) and Miami Heat (Tuesday), which also marks the start of the Emirates NBA Cup 2024. Tipoff between the Pistons and Hawks is slated for Little Caesars Arena at 7 p.m.