The Charlotte Hornets (12 - 8) defeated the Detroit Pistons (12 - 10) 104 - 84 on Monday. Pistons center Andre Drummond has undeniably been one of the NBA's most improved and productive players of the 2015 - 16 campaign, having impressively tallied double - digit scoring in every game, as well as double - doubles in all but one contest. Meanwhile, a Charlotte defense that was ranked in the bottom 10 of the league in points and rebounds surrendered to opposing centers had recently been weakened even further by the loss of center Al Jefferson to a multi - week calf injury. However, the Hornets somehow managed to get Drummond into foul trouble Monday, limiting him to 24 minutes and prompting his first single - digit scoring night of the year. The home team surprisingly dominated overall down low, outscoring the Pistons 46 to 34 in the paint and outrebounding them 57 to 41. The unexpected success led Charlotte to post their third victory with a margin of 20 or more points this season. For Detroit, veteran power forward Ersan Ilyasova stepped up during Drummond's extended stint on the bench, totaling 15 points, 13 rebounds, an assist, a steal and a block for his first double - double of the season. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (16 points, four rebounds, an assist and a steal) and Marcus Morris (11 points, three rebounds, an assist and a block) joined Ilyasova as double - digit scorers, while Reggie Jackson and Drummond amazingly posted season - lows of four and nine points, respectively. Steve Blake paced the Pistons' bench with a second consecutive nine - point performance. Detroit dropped to 12 - 10 and currently resides in fourth place in the Eastern Conference's Central Division. They head to Memphis for a matchup versus the Grizzlies on Wednesday. The Hornets were lead by a second straight strong effort from Cody Zeller in Jefferson's stead, as he tallied a season - high 20 points and added six rebounds, an assist and a pair of steals. The outing comes on the heels of a 17 - point, eight - rebound performance by the third - year pro versus the Bulls. Marvin Williams supported Zeller in the frontcourt with a 14 - point, 12 - rebound double - double. Kemba Walker, questionable before the game with an illness, came within a rebound of his own double - double, totaling 14 points, nine boards, a pair of assists, a steal and a block. Nicolas Batum stuffed the stat sheet once again, amassing 13 points, eight assists, seven rebounds and a pair of steals. Jeremy Lin paced the Charlotte reserves with an efficient 13 - point, four - assist, three - rebound effort, while also adding a pair of steals. The Hornets improved to 12 - 8 and currently reside in second place in the Eastern Conference's Southeast Division. They remain home for a showdown with the Miami Heat on Wednesday.
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