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Kelly Olynyk’s buzzer-beater in OT ends Pistons’ skid vs. Hornets

Kelly Olynyk Pistons Hornets Basketball
Posted at 10:39 PM, Feb 27, 2022
and last updated 2022-02-27 22:39:47-05

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Kelly Olynyk made a fadeaway jumper from the baseline at the overtime buzzer and the Detroit Pistons beat Charlotte 127-126 on Sunday night, their first victory over the Hornets in nearly 4 1/2 years.

Saddiq Bey had 28 points and eight rebounds and Jerami Grant added 26 points for Detroit, which had lost 15 straight games to the Hornets since its last win on Oct. 18, 2017.

Olynyk had 20 points and eight rebounds for the Pistons, who have won three of four. Rookie Cade Cunningham scored 19 points.

Charlotte got 33 points from Terry Rozier and 29 points and 10 rebounds from Miles Bridges. The Hornets fell to 0-6 in overtime.

P.J. Washington — who sent the game to an extra period when he scored off an offensive rebound — missed a layup with 20 seconds left in OT that would have given Charlotte a three-point lead.

After Cunningham missed a jumper, Detroit won a jump ball with 6.8 seconds left. Cunningham drove but was fouled, giving the Pistons the ball on the side with 2.1 seconds left. The inbounds pass went to Olynyk near the baseline and he turned and knocked down a 13-footer.

The Hornets had a chance to win at the end of regulation when LaMelo Ball stole an inbounds pass, but the All-Star missed a 16-footer at the buzzer. Ball also missed a 2-footer off an offensive rebound in overtime and finished 6 of 24 from the field.

TIP-INS

Pistons: Outrebounded the Hornets 54-46.

Hornets: Cody Martin, who missed the team’s final six games before the All-Star break, was a big contributor off the bench, finishing with 13 points on 6-of-6 shooting. ... Center Mason Plumlee entered the game shooting 37.3% from the free-throw line and somehow managed to lower that number, going 1 of 7.

UP NEXT

Pistons: At Washington on Tuesday night.

Hornets: At Milwaukee on Monday night.