AUBURN HILLS, Mich.
Will Bynum scored a franchise-record 26 points in the fourth quarter to lead Detroit to a 104-97 victory over the Charlotte Bobcats last night that put Detroit a step closer to locking up the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
Bynum scored the final 13 points for the Pistons and finished with a career-high 32 points, and also had seven assists. He made all six of his field-goal attempts and hit 14 of 16 free throws in the fourth quarter.
Bynum picked up the scoring load for Richard Hamilton, who led Detroit with 13 points before he was ejected at the end of the third quarter after picking up his second technical foul.
The win was the third for the Pistons in four meetings with the Bobcats this season and leaves the Pistons three games ahead of the Bobcats with five games remaining in the race for the final playoff spot.
D.J. Augustin led Charlotte with 22 points, including 14 in the fourth quarter. Raymond Felton added 18, and Boris Diaw and Emeka Okafor added 14 points each. Okafor had 16 rebounds.
Tayshaun Prince added 14 points for Detroit, and Kwame Brown and Antonio McDyess each grabbed nine rebounds.
The Pistons are trying to clinch a playoff berth for the eighth consecutive season, while the Bobcats have yet to play in the postseason.
Notes: Pistons center Rasheed Wallace returned to the starting lineup. He came off the bench in the previous three games after returning from a calf injury that caused him to miss 11 games.... Bobcats guard Raja Bell sat out with a calf injury.
CHARLOTTE -- G.Wallace 2-8 7-11 11, Diaw 6-13 0-0 14, Okafor 6-10 2-4 14, Martin 0-2 0-0 0, Felton 7-17 3-3 18, Augustin 5-13 10-12 22, Jefferson 1-5 0-0 2, Howard 2-3 0-0 4, Diop 1-2 2-2 4, Radmanovic 3-8 1-1 8. Totals 33-81 25-33 97.
DETROIT -- Prince 7-16 0-0 14, McDyess 4-6 0-0 8, R.Wallace 4-12 3-3 12, Hamilton 6-15 0-0 13, Stuckey 2-6 4-5 8, Brown 0-0 0-0 0, Bynum 9-15 14-16 32, Afflalo 4-4 1-2 12, Maxiell 1-2 0-0 2, Herrmann 1-1 0-0 3. Totals 38-77 22-26 104.
Charlotte 17 27 25 28 -- 97
Detroit 24 27 17 36 -- 104
3-Point Goals--Charlotte 6-20 (Diaw 2-4, Augustin 2-7, Felton 1-4, Radmanovic 1-4, Martin 0-1), Detroit 6-21 (Afflalo 3-3, Herrmann 1-1, R.Wallace 1-5, Hamilton 1-6, Bynum 0-2, Prince 0-4). Fouled Out--G.Wallace. Rebounds--Charlotte 49 (Okafor 16), Detroit 50 (McDyess, Brown 9). Assists--Charlotte 14 (Diaw 6), Detroit 21 (Bynum 7). Total Fouls--Charlotte 25, Detroit 24. Technicals--Hamilton 2. Ejected--Hamilton. A--22,076 (22,076).
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