After earning their first home win in four tries this season, the Detroit Pistons are now aiming for their third consecutive victory as they visit the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday night.
Detroit followed up their 106-92 win at Brooklyn on Sunday with a 115-103 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday.
Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said the key to the win over the Lakers was simple: his team kept turnovers low, committing only 12. “We’ve had some struggles with that,” Bickerstaff said. “We took care of the basketball.”
Jaden Ivey led the Pistons with a season-high 26 points. He made 10 of 16 shots and was one of six Pistons players to finish in double figures. Detroit has now won three of its last four games.
“With confidence, amazing things happen,” Bickerstaff said. “We believe that (Ivey is) playing with an extreme level of confidence. He’s attacking, he’s playing in positions of strength. He wants this to work. He’s doing whatever he has to do to help this team win.”
Bickerstaff was also happy with how the Pistons played with patience, especially in the closing minutes of the game.
“Understanding possession by possession what we needed to do in the moment,” Bickerstaff said. “Taking care of the basketball in the fourth quarter, not giving them extra opportunities. We have guys who are capable to get to their spot to create shots for one another.”
Jaden Ivey or Cade Cunningham has been Detroit’s leading scorer in every game this season.
Ivey’s 26 points were the third time he finished as the Pistons’ top scorer. Cunningham posted his third career triple-double in the win, with 17 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists.
The Hornets have been competitive in most of their games but suffered a tough 114-93 loss at Minnesota on Monday.
Charlotte struggled in the second and third quarters, getting outscored 67-47, which led to their third straight defeat.
Despite the loss, guard LaMelo Ball’s scoring has been a bright spot. Ball, who has scored 30 points in four games, entered Tuesday ranked seventh in the NBA with an average of 28.6 points per game. He has led Charlotte in scoring in six of the team’s seven games.
“A lot of what we’ve been trying to teach him on both ends of the court, he’s approached it with the right mindset,” Charlotte coach Charles Lee said of Ball.
“And he has been open-minded. We’re seeing a little bit of improvement defensively and we’re seeing his playmaking and wizardry happen offensively.”
Ball had 19 points in the loss to Minnesota, but no other Hornet managed more than 10 points. Charlotte struggled with shooting, making only 10 of 42 three-pointers (23.8 percent) and shooting 35-of-88 (39.8 percent) overall.
The Hornets ranked 21st in the league in scoring (111.3 points per game) as of Tuesday, and some of their offensive struggles can be traced back to injuries. Forward Brandon Miller missed four games due to a strained left glute but returned to the lineup on Saturday.
Charlotte has also had issues in the post, with center Nick Richards missing the last two games due to right shoulder soreness.
