Detroit Pistons vs. Charlotte Hornets Pick & Prediction NOVEMBER 21st 2024

Preview and Prediction

Newly appointed head coach of the Charlotte Hornets, Charles Lee, has demonstrated his willingness to make changes to player combinations in the late stages of games, even if it may cause some controversy.

This was evident earlier this week when star guard LaMelo Ball was benched in the final moments of a game.

Lee stated, "I believe every night it could be someone different. They all need to understand that if another player is performing well, we may have to rely on them."

The Hornets will face off against the Detroit Pistons on Thursday night, in a rematch of their one-point victory earlier this month.

Charlotte has struggled in their recent games, losing four out of their last five, including a close 116-115 defeat against the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday night. Ball had a season-low performance, scoring only 12 points in 24 minutes of play.

However, the Hornets have been successful in their last three home games, with two of those victories being decided by just one point. The first game in this home streak was against the Pistons on November 6th, where Miles Bridges led the team with 27 points. This was the only game in a nine-game stretch where someone other than Ball was the top scorer for the Hornets.

Despite the attention on Tuesday's fourth quarter, it should be noted that the Hornets scored a season-high 37 points in the first quarter, giving them a 37-23 lead. They shot an impressive 13 of 19 from the field during this 12-minute period.

Since their loss to the Hornets, the Pistons have managed to win four out of their last seven games. They played on Monday night, losing 122-112 to the Chicago Bulls.

Detroit coach J.B. Bickerstaff acknowledged, "There were areas where we could have performed better. Credit to the Bulls for making tough shots and connecting on 23 3-pointers."

Cade Cunningham has been the leading scorer for the Pistons in five out of their last seven games, scoring 26 points against the Bulls. He currently averages 23.2 points per game, the highest on the team.

The Pistons welcomed back Tim Hardaway Jr. for Monday's game after he missed three games due to a head injury. Malik Beasley, who had been performing well in Hardaway's absence, returned to a bench role.

Bickerstaff stated, "If you're a starter and you were injured, you will return to your starting position." However, Hardaway struggled in his return, shooting 1-for-10 from the field and missing all eight of his 3-point attempts in 30 minutes of play. Beasley, on the other hand, came off the bench and contributed 21 points in 30 minutes.

On Monday, Detroit's Jalen Duren grabbed an impressive 22 rebounds, with 12 of them being offensive rebounds. This was the most offensive rebounds by a Piston since March 2015.

The Hornets will be keeping a close eye on the status of reserve guard Tre Mann, who averages 14.8 points per game, as he continues to recover from a back injury. He has missed a few recent games.

Lee acknowledged, "Every player on our team has been crucial as we've been short-handed. Having Tre back will give us another ball handler."

PREDICTION

Detroit Pistons

110

109

Charlotte Hornets