RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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 GAME FLOW
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- The locker room door remained locked for
more than 25 minutes after the Charlotte Hornets lost their fifth
consecutive game Friday night.
"It's a crime for this team to lose five in a row," forward
P.J. Brown said after a 96-89 loss to the Detroit Pistons led to a
closed-door, players-only meeting.
"It was just time for us all to get together," Brown said of
the post-game meeting. "Everyone needs to look into the mirror and
ask themselves what they're bringing to the team."
A fourth-quarter collapse by the Hornets allowed Detroit to seal
the win.
"I think we need to re-evaluate our production and our
effort," guard David Wesley said.
The Pistons took only their second lead of the game on Mikki
Moore's two free throws to start the fourth. Cedric Ceballos
followed with a 3-pointer, and Mateen Cleaves' three-point play
made it 74-66 Detroit with 9:54 to go.
Charlotte missed several shots from close range in the final
period, and Chucky Atkins' 3-pointer with four minutes left gave
Detroit an 88-75 lead.
"We missed 12 layups in the first half," said Hornets coach
Paul Silas said. "That's a matter of concentration. We've got to
concentrate."
Moore, Ceballos and Jerome Williams all scored 10 points as the
Pistons won for only the fourth time in 10 games. Williams grabbed
12 rebounds to helps Detroit to a 48-38 edge on the boards.
"We're growing. We're a team that's gelling," said Jerry
Stackhouse. "We'll be playing our best basketball later on."
Jamal Mashburn led Charlotte with 21 points and 12 rebounds.
Wesley added 20 and Elden Campbell scored 14.
After starting the year a franchise-best 4-1, the Hornets are
two games under .500 for the first time since April 1999.
Charlotte took advantage of 32 percent shooting by the Pistons
in the first quarter to take a 20-10 lead. Mashburn had eight
points and five rebounds in the period, while Stackhouse was just
2-of-9 from the field.
Detroit came alive in the second quarter and took its first lead
on Moore's baseline jumper. But Charlotte picked up the defensive
intensity with back-to-back steals by Wesley and went on a 17-6 run
to lead 48-38 at halftime.
"We didn't panic when we were down at the half," Detroit coach
George Irvine said. "We wore them down."
The Pistons slowly cut into Charlotte's lead in the third, and
Jud Buechler's 3-pointer from the right baseline with 2.7 seconds
left made it 65-64 Hornets after three.
Charlotte hit just two of its first eight shots to start the
fourth.
Game notes
Pistons director of player personnel Brendan Suhr said
before the game that the team's pursuit of free agent forward Joe
Smith has not been a distraction. "It's only a distraction when
(the media) comes around," he said.... Mashburn has scored 18 or
more points in five straight games....The two teams meet again
Sunday in Auburn Hills, Mich.
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Charlotte Clubhouse
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Golden State 92
Indiana 90
Philadelphia 94
Miami 73
Boston 106
Atlanta 99
Detroit 96
Charlotte 89
Minnesota 99
San Antonio 94
Milwaukee 89
Cleveland 76
New York 90
Phoenix 85
Dallas 99
Seattle 95
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