Pistons Rally To Beat Bobcats 110-107 In OT
NOAH TRISTER,AP Sports Writer
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) — When Will Bynum has the ball, he sometimes seems to play a step or two faster than anyone else on the court — charging to the basket or taking quick shots from the outside with little regard for the consequences.
Down by eight with under 2:00 remaining, the Detroit Pistons adopted Bynum's personality a bit, mounting an impressive rally to force overtime and then holding off the Charlotte Bobcats in the extra period.
"We need to be playing attack basketball," Bynum said. "We just try to get good shots in attack mode and defend. That's pretty much all you can do."
Bynum's 3-pointer with 15.7 seconds left in regulation sent the game into overtime, and the Pistons went on to edge Charlotte 110-107 on Saturday night. The Bobcats led 93-85 before Detroit's Brandon Knight made a pair of 3-pointers and Bynum sank his tying shot from the left wing.
Gerald Henderson had a great chance to win it for Charlotte, but his driving bank shot missed in the final seconds.
Jonas Jerebko put the Pistons ahead 105-103 on a tip-in with 50.5 seconds left in overtime, and Detroit led 108-104 before Reggie Williams made a 3-pointer with 6.4 seconds remaining to cut it to one. Tayshaun Prince made two free throws for Detroit, and Charlotte's Byron Mullens and Williams both missed last-ditch 3-pointers.
Prince led Detroit with 24 points and Jerebko added 18. Bynum finished with 17.
Charlotte was without leading scorer Corey Maggette, who is out with a strained right Achilles. Pistons guards Rodney Stuckey and Ben Gordon missed the game as well, leaving more playing time for backups like Bynum.
"They call him Bynumite, right?" Pistons coach Lawrence Frank said. "It's a credit to Will that he stayed ready and when his number was called he delivered tonight."
Mullens scored 20 points for the Bobcats, who led by 11 in the third quarter but ended up with their seventh straight loss.
Down eight, Knight began Detroit's comeback with a 3-pointer. Greg Monroe then stole the ball at midcourt and was able to convert a three-point play when Williams fouled him trying unsuccessfully to prevent a layup.
D.J. Augustin scored on a drive to push Charlotte's lead back to four, but Knight answered with a 3-pointer. After a miss by Augustin and a turnover by Knight, Williams made two free throws with 26.2 seconds left.
Detroit needed a 3 to tie it, and Bynum was able to make one. After Henderson's miss, Charlotte assistant coach Stephen Silas skipped back toward his bench in frustration after being agonizingly close to a win.
Bobcats coach Paul Silas has been allowing Stephen, his son, to handle the head coaching duties from the sideline on occasion this season. That was the case again Saturday, and the Bobcats looked composed through most of the second half. They went on a 10-0 run in the third quarter to snap a 54-all tie.
After Jerebko put the Pistons ahead to stay in the final minute of overtime, Henderson made only one of two free throws at the other end. Monroe's two free throws with 19.9 seconds remaining gave Detroit a three-point lead.
Henderson then lost the ball driving down the middle, but Bynum made only one of two from the line. After the 3 by Williams and the two free throws by Prince, Charlotte advanced the ball to the frontcourt with a timeout.
The clock then appeared to start too soon, and officials halted the Bobcats' final play — but not before Detroit had a chance for a sneak preview. When play began again, the best Charlotte could do was a 3 by Mullens from the left side, and then another desperation shot by Williams from the opposite wing after a rebound.
"We had Reggie wide open when we ran the play the first time, and he wasn't open the second time," Stephen Silas said. "Those things happen, I guess."
NOTES: Stuckey had a sore left hamstring and Gordon had a sore groin. ... Detroit shot 52 percent from the field.
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