Hornets Top Pistons, 118-103, For 6th Straight Win
STEVE REED, AP Sports Writer
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Marvin Williams tied a career high with five 3-pointers and scored 22 points, and the Charlotte Hornets beat the Detroit Pistons 118-103 on Friday night for their sixth straight win.
Nicolas Batum added 17 points and 11 assists for the Hornets, who have won 12 of their last 14 games. Kemba Walker, who had scored at least 30 points in each of the previous four games, finished with 16 points and eight assists.
With the win the Hornets (36-28) moved eight games over .500 for the first time since the end of the 2000-01 season. They'd never reached that mark during the Bobcats era.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope had 24 points and Reggie Jackson had 20 points and 10 assists for the Pistons. Detroit entered the night a half-game ahead of Chicago for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
The Hornets were hot from the start, shooting 54 percent from the field to build a 69-53 lead at halftime.
Williams had 14 points in the first half, including 3 of 4 from 3-point range as the Pistons were slow getting out to get a hand in the veteran forward's face. Batum had 10 points and seven boards at the break and the Hornets scored 15 points of Detroit turnovers to set the tone.
There was a scary moment for the Hornets early in the third quarter when Walker drove the lane and caught an arm to the head from Reggie Jackson, who was called for a flagrant foul.
Walker was slow to get up but remained in the game and sank both free throws to put the Hornets up 73-58.
Detroit would cut the lead to six in the fourth quarter on a 3-pointer by Marcus Morris, but the Hornets' reserves helped the team pull away.
Rookie forward Frank Kaminsky hit a fall-away jumper, Jeremy Lin found Courtney Lee with a no-look pass for a fast-break layup and Al Jefferson scored twice in the low post to push the lead 16. Jefferson, who has been working in a reserve role since coming back from an injury, had 12 points.
Kaminsky continues to improve with his low-post moves and hit his first four shots from the field and finished with 10 points.
Lee, acquired recently in a trade, is steadily improving for the Hornets and had 15 points.
TIP-INS
Pistons: Andre Drummond only attempted one shot from the field and had five points.
Hornets: After scoring 71 points in the first half against New Orleans on Wednesday, the Hornets scored 69 against the Pistons before the break.
UP NEXT
Pacers: At Washington on Saturday night.
Hornets: At Philadelphia on Saturday night.
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