Pistons vs. Hornets final score: Pistons lose every phase of the game in laugher

The Detroit Pistons were run off the floor in Charlotte, losing every conceivable phase of the game on their way to an embarrassing 114-98 defeat at the hands of the Charlotte Hornets.

With the loss the Pistons are closer to 10th-place Charlotte than they are to the 8th-seeded Miami Heat.

It’s hard to figure out what was most cringe inducing in this Sunday afternoon tilt — the complete lack of effort on both ends of the floor? Letting seven Hornets score in double figures? Giving up 16 3s on just 35 attempts? Let’s go with allowing Hornets bench players to score 28 points in just nine first-half minutes. Pathetic.

This game was over the moment that the reserves went into the game and allowed a six-point deficit with just over four minutes to go in the first quarter to turn into a 51-23 point thumping with 6:38 to go in the second quarter. Ball game.

The Pistons were “led” by Blake Griffin with 20 points on 18 shot attempts (an all too familiar stat line). He again had more turnovers (six) than he had rebounds (four). Andre Drummond added 14 point and 14 rebounds and nobody else did much of anything.

If there is any saving grace to today’s horrific showing it might be the end of the brief but disastrous run for Jameer Nelson — backup point guard. He somehow managed to be a -17 in just 6:21 seconds thanks to a combination of not being able to defend, pass or get anyone else involved.

Dwight Buycks played second-half reserve minutes and while it was mostly garbage time he notched 12 points and displayed athleticism and the ability go get into the lane.

Langston Galloway did nothing in 12 minutes. Anthony Tolliver did nothing in 15 minutes. Eric Moreland did nothing in 11 minutes. And Luke Kennard did nothing in six minutes. That’s a whole lot of nothing.