Hornets at Pistons
The Detroit Pistons and the Charlotte Hornets both watched their chances of slipping into the No. 8 spot in the Eastern Conference slip away over the last month. The Hornets will try to snap a three-game slide when they visit the Pistons on Sunday.
Charlotte was in the race up until the last week but has been hammered by injuries of late and has dropped 13 of its last 18 contests. The Hornets are without the likes of Al Jefferson (knee), Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (ankle), Cody Zeller (shoulder) and Lance Stephenson (toe), leaving Bismack Biyombo and Marvin Williams to deal with Detroit’s starting frontcourt. The Pistons have dropped their last two games and four of five, including a 102-78 setback in Charlotte on Apr. 1. Detroit was without forward Greg Monroe in that contest, and he has posted back-to-back double-doubles since returning from an 11-game absence.
TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, SportSouth (Charlotte), FSN Detroit
ABOUT THE HORNETS (33-46): Charlotte decided to open up its rotation and taken a long look at some of the younger players after being eliminated. Rookie forward Noah Vonleh got 21 minutes off the bench and responded with four points and six rebounds while guard Troy Daniels busted out for 15 points in 20 minutes off the bench in a 104-80 loss at Atlanta on Friday. “That’s what these games are gonna be for – for them to learn,” Hornets coach Steve Clifford told reporters. “The biggest thing for the young guys is timing issues. We have to get more organized.”
ABOUT THE PISTONS (30-49): Detroit is 29th in the NBA in team free-throw shooting (70.2 percent) and lamented its poor performance at the line after going 12-of-23 in a 107-103 loss to Indiana on Friday. "That's where we felt we lost it," point guard Reggie Jackson told reporters of the free-throw struggles. "We came in here and talked about it. Can't shoot that poor. Myself, I felt like I missed (four). It was tough.” Jackson was held to nine points on 3-of-16 shooting at Charlotte on Apr. 1 but is averaging 23.3 points and 11 assists in four games since.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Pistons C Andre Drummond is looking for his fifth straight double-double.
2. Hornets F Marvin Williams totaled four points on 1-of-12 shooting in the last two games.
3. Charlotte has taken five of the last six in the series, including three straight in Detroit.