Charlotte, NC – Greg Monroe handled the interior with 25 points and 11 rebounds, while Brandon Knight did his work on the perimeter with 21 points and seven assists, as Detroit rolled past Charlotte, 109-85.
Jason Maxiell donated 17 points to go along with five rebounds, while three players added nine points, including Rodney Stuckey, who also dished out seven assists. Detroit snapped a three-game losing streak overall behind 52 percent shooting.
Derrick Brown and D.J. Augustin each scored 13 points and D.J. White added 12 for the Bobcats, who have won just seven games this season and lost for the 14th straight time. Their last win came on March 17 versus Toronto.
Detroit scored six of the game's first seven points to silence the crowd, and put together eight in a row after the Bobcasts had come back to square the game. Tayshaun Prince's jumper opened an 18-10 advantage, the largest of the period, and the visitors closed the quarter with a 22-18 edge.
The Pistons kept the Bobcats at arm's length in the second quarter until a back-breaking 12-0 burst opened a comfortable margin. Detroit did most of its damage in the paint with just two points outside the paint. Monroe's hook shot and free throw capped the stretch for a 46-28 lead. The advantage grew to as many as 19 points, but Charlotte scored the final seven with Gerlad Henderson's bucket cutting the margin to 52-40.
Charlotte couldn't maintain the momentum out of the locker room, as the Pistons came out scoring and built an even bigger advantage. Knight scored seven straight points for the Pistons, including a slam that opened a 69-46 lead with just under seven minutes to go.
Knight started moving his game to the perimeter, where he drained back-to-back treys for an 80-54 edge with three minutes and change left in the period. Monroe's three-point play just over one minute later made it a 30-point game, 86-56, and the rout was on.
Game Notes
The Pistons third-period output (40 points) equalled Charlotte's total in the first half...The Bobcats are just 4-23 at home and 1-14 versus the Central Division...Detroit has won five straight in this series...Kemba Walker chipped in with nine points, four rebounds and four assists for Charlotte...The Bobcats were outrebounded, 43-30.
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