Pistons overcome sluggish start to beat Hornets in first game without Jaden Ivey

Coty M. Davis, The Detroit News on Jan 3, 2025

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DETROIT — The Detroit Pistons and Charlotte Hornets have had a handful of wild games over the last two seasons. Friday night at Little Caesars Arena, the two franchises had another wild game. However, Detroit prevailed with a 98-94 win.

The Pistons trailed the Hornets by 13 points at halftime but came to life in the third quarter. They outscored Charlotte 32-17 in the period, leading to their fifth victory in six games. The third quarter marked Detroit's best quarter of the night, as they shot 43.3% from the field. Overall, the Pistons improved to 16-18.

At the 4:20 mark of the fourth quarter, the Pistons had a chance to extend their lead to nine, but Jalen Duren failed to convert a dunk. His missed attempt led to Miles Bridges keeping the Hornets alive after he connected on a two-handed slam (92-87).

Tobias Harris led the way with 24 points and 10 rebounds. Cade Cunningham finished with 18 points, five rebounds and five assists.

The Pistons played their first game of the season since Jaden Ivey suffered a broken fibula on Wednesday night.

Coach J.B. Bickerstaff was aware that Ivey's loss would disrupt the team’s chemistry, and perhaps this was the reason behind the Pistons’ poor start. Outside of Harris, who scored 10 points during the opening period, Detroit had one of its most mediocre beginnings.

Their energy was low, and the team appeared to lack focus on both ends. The Hornets took advantage of Detroit’s early struggles to take a 31-26 lead into the second quarter. Ron Holland II gave the Pistons some life in the second period, scoring all nine of his points. However, his efforts were not enough to keep the Hornets from leading 65-52 by halftime.

Bridges was vital in leading the short-handed Hornets by scoring 14 first-half points. He led Charlotte with 20 points, nine rebounds and five assists. Mark Williams added 18 points and eight rebounds. All-Star guard LaMelo Ball was sidelined due to ankle and wrist injuries. Brandon Miller missed his third straight game due to his respective ankle injury.

The Pistons improved their play during the third quarter and once cut their double-digit deficit down to 75-73 with 5:36 left in the period. A few possessions later, Tim Hardaway Jr. connected on a 3-point field goal to give Detroit a 79-78 lead.

Duren recorded his 12th double-double with 14 rebounds and 10 points. Malik Beasley had another poor shooting performance but finished with 12 points (5 of 16, 1 of 10 from 3).

Observations and notes vs. Hornets

— Sasser to help with ball-handling duties: As expected, Bickerstaff relied on second-year guard Marcus Sasser to help Cunningham with ball-handling duties. It appears that Bickerstaff will keep one of the two guards on the floor at all times, similar to how he staggers the minutes between Cunningham and Ivey. Sasser's production proved helpful during the second quarter while Cunningham was in foul trouble.

— Wendell Moore receives his first start of the season: Amid the loss of Ivey, Bickerstaff said his absence would give him a chance to experiment with different lineups. Against the Hornets, he inserted Wendell Moore Jr. into the starting lineup. He was scoreless in 15 minutes but pulled down three rebounds.

Despite Moore's lack of production, Bickerstaff will likely employ a different starting five against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday. Before the game, Bickerstaff noted that the starting lineup without Ivey would depend on matchups and what the team felt comfortable with.

— Frustration with the officials: From turnovers to poor defense, there are several reasons for the Pistons' subpar play. However, the team's frustration with the officials was near the top of the list. In the second period, the Pistons were called for 12 fouls, while the Hornets received only three. They finished the night with three technical fouls.

Up next

The Pistons will continue their homestand on Saturday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The game will conclude the second half of a back-to-back set. They will close their four-game home stretch Monday night against the Portland Trail Blazers. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. at Little Caesars Arena.