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The Pistons led by as many as 13 points in the second quarter, but saw that lead quickly dissipate before halftime. The game was quickly turned into a back-and-forth affair in the second half, but one of those really ugly kinds of back-and-forth games in which neither team seems to really want to win. Someone would have to win, though, even if it took overtime.
The Pistons turned the ball over 22 times, failed to corral key defensive rebounds and seemed to play hack-a-Bobcat whenever playing good defense was just too doggone hard, which was often (they were outscored at the stripe 25-13). It all finally caught up to the Pistons in the fourth quarter and overtime when the Bobcats outscored the Pistons 29-19, ruining the Pistons' chance for a perfect 5-0 homestand and sending the team into a 5-day layoff with a losing taste in their collective mouths.
Greg Monroe's effort of 18 points on 7-for-10 shooting, 14 rebounds, six assists and a block was wasted in the streak-snapping loss. Andre Drummond had a slow start but finished with 10 points, six rebounds and three blocks in 27-plus minutes.
The Pistons don't play again until Friday. They're back on the road again in Milwaukee before flying right back to Detroit for a game on Saturday night with Utah. Then it's another 5 days before they play again, but that time will be mostly spent getting used to the time difference in lovely London.
GAME BULLETS
• Will Bynum was the only Piston doing point guardy things. He had nine assists opposite just one turnover (5 on open jumpers, 3 on lobs to Drummond and one on a Monroe driving layup). The rest of the team had just 13 assists opposite 21 turnovers. Knight, being used less and less as a PG with the recent return of Stuckey, had an assist and four turnovers. Stuckey was not much better, though, as he had just one assist with three turnovers. Actually, things are so bad Tayshaun Prince is being used more as a point forward at times - he had three assists and four turnovers.
• Austin Daye only played 11 minutes after a big game against the Hawks. What gives?
• Charlie Villanueva started 3 for 3 from long distance and then proceeded to go 0 for 5.
• Kyle Singler has been really bad.
• Kemba Walker had 20 points and seven assists for the Bobcats in the win. He looked good.