CHARLOTTE, N.C. — PJ Washington had 20 points and nine rebounds, Terry Rozier hit some big shots down the stretch and the Charlotte Hornets beat the Detroit Pistons 105-102 on Thursday night (Friday, Manila time) to get back to .500 for the first time since Jan. 13.
Rozier and Gordon Hayward each scored 17 points and Cody Zeller chipped in with 15 points and a key rebound for Charlotte (18-18).
Jerami Grant had 32 points on 11-of-24 shooting for the Pistons.
With Charlotte trailing 96-94, Zeller grabbed a big offensive rebound in traffic and kicked out to an open Washington for a corner 3-pointer with 2:22 left to give the Hornets the lead for good.
After a Pistons turnover, Rozier took over.
Terry Rozier looks at the clock in the face of Svi Mykhailiuk's defense.
He drove the left side of the lane and knocked down a soft bank shot while drawing a foul, pushing the lead to four. Rozier then added a 3 from the wing on the next possession to push the lead to five and sank a floater in the lane with the shot clock winding down to give the Hornets a 105-100 lead with 9.1 seconds left.
Rozier was 3 of 11 from the field before making those three big shots.
Washington had nine points in the fourth quarter.
TIP-INS
Pistons: Held to 39 points in the second half on 6-of-26 shooting from 3-point range. ... Saddiq Bey, who grew up in Charlotte, had 14 points. ... Committed 14 turnovers leading to 19 Charlotte points.
Hornets: Team owner and NBA great Michael Jordan took in his first live game of the season, wearing a mask and sitting courtside near GM Mitch Kupchak. ... Hayward was 4 of 15 from the field but made all eight free throws. ... Devonte Graham returned to the floor after missing nearly a month with a knee injury. ... Made 23 of 24 foul shots.
SOME FANS ALLOWED
The Hornets distributed 500 complimentary tickets to frontline workers from healthcare partner Novant Health for the game. They're the first spectators allowed in at the Spectrum Center in more than a year.
About 3,000 general public fans will be allowed in for the next home game on Saturday.
UP NEXT
Pistons: At Brooklyn on Saturday night.
Hornets: Host Raptors on Saturday night as part of a three-game homestand.
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