OGT: Detroit Pistons @ Charlotte Bobcats

[SportsFromA2]

7PM, FSD.

[SportsFromA2]

One game after Pistons coach Lawrence Frank blasted his team in Orlando, the Pistons (22-36) played the part of the Harlem Globetrotters to the Bobcats' Washington Generals, winning 109-85 Thursday night at Time Warner Cable Arena.

The Pistons' frontcourt ruled with Jason Maxiell's perfect night and Greg Monroe breaking from his previous lethargy in a big way. Maxiell made all eight of his field goals, jump-starting the Pistons in the first quarter with 10 on his way to 17 points and five rebounds.

Monroe had 25 points and 11 rebounds, even dunking on the Bobcats' Byron Mullens and uncharacteristically yelling afterward. The usually ground-bound center even caught an alley-oop for a dunk, something he has done a handful of times this season.

In a stark contrast to Monday's loss, where the Pistons trailed by 30 in the third quarter, they led the hapless Bobcats (7-50) by 30. After a four-point spread in the first quarter, the Pistons outscored the Bobcats, 70-44, in the next two quarters, shooting more than 52 percent from the field.

It signified the ultimate reversal; in the way the Pistons have been manhandled at times this year by athletic teams with quickness and length, they did the exact same thing to the league's worst team.

Alley-oops were abundant, along with laughs, "oohs" and "aahs" from the bench. The Bobcats faithful, perhaps having seen this movie so often, didn't even muster the energy to boo.

In effect, the Bobcats showed the smattering of fans who want them to tank exactly how bad they'd have to try to be in order to have the most ping-pong balls in next month's draft lottery, in the hope of snagging Kentucky's Anthony Davis.

But even Davis, viewed upon by observers as a franchise changer, doesn't look like he can help this bunch. If this were an 82-game season, the Bobcats could've challenged the 1972-73 Philadelphia 76ers for the NBA's all-time worst record (9-73).

Pistons guard Brandon Knight thoroughly outplayed fellow rookie Kemba Walker. In fact, Knight's 17 third-quarter points nearly outscored the entire Bobcats' output (22). He finished with an excellent all-around game, with 21 points and seven assists, making three of his four three-point attempts.

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2...484/1127/rss13