Brandon Miller scored eight of his career-high 38 points in overtime as the Charlotte Hornets fended off the visiting Detroit Pistons 123-121 on Thursday night.
LaMelo Ball, who was on the bench late in the Hornets’ loss Tuesday night at Brooklyn, pumped in 35 points and delivered nine assists as the Hornets survived after the Pistons came back from a 20-point second-half deficit.
Miller hit two of his eight 3-point baskets in overtime. He also had a key steal to thwart the Pistons on a fastbreak less than a minute into the extra period.
Charlotte’s three other starters aside from Miller and Ball combined for just 23 points. Grant Williams had 12 points, Josh Green scored 10 and Moussa Diabate paired his single point with 16 rebounds.
The Hornets connected on 20 of 44 shots from 3-point range (45.5 percent). Cody Martin notched 15 points and three 3-pointers off the bench as the Hornets won for just the second time in their last six games.
Cade Cunningham led Detroit with 27 points and also had 10 assists and seven rebounds.
Tobias Harris added 26 points and eight boards, while Malik Beasley (16 points) and Isaiah Stewart (13 points, nine rebounds) contributed off the bench.
The Pistons committed 19 turnovers that Charlotte flipped into 25 points.
Detroit trailed 89-69 in the third quarter but rallied to pull even at 107 on Jaden Ivey’s bucket with 1:33 remaining in the fourth. Cunningham made two free throws to cap a 10-0 run and put Detroit ahead 109-107.
Ball’s ensuing basket tied it with 25 seconds left, and Beasley missed on a potential go-ahead shot in the final second of regulation.
Tre Mann’s layup with 3:03 left in overtime gave Charlotte the lead for good at 113-112. Miller followed with his first trey in the extra session at the 1:43 mark.
The Hornets had just about everything going their way in the third quarter as they pulled away from a 63-59 halftime edge. Green made two 3-pointers to spark the surge before Ball went on a personal seven-point scoring spree to make it 84-67.
The lead grew to 89-69 before the Pistons responded with eight straight points. Cunningham had 23 points through three quarters.
The Hornets scored at least 30 points in each of the first three quarters before they were outscored 30-16 in the fourth.
–Field Level Media
