Bobcats 116, Pistons 106
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- Point guard Kemba Walker scored a season-high 34 points and the Charlotte Bobcats outscored the Detroit Pistons 41-17 in the fourth quarter for a 116-106 victory on Friday night at The Palace.
Center Al Jefferson scored 15 of his 24 points in the fourth and grabbed 14 rebounds. Shooting guard Gerald Henderson contributed 22 points and eight rebounds for the Bobcats (13-14), who trailed by as much as 20 points.
Point guard Brandon Jennings led the Pistons (13-15) with 26 points and forward Josh Smith added 18 points and six rebounds. Center Andre Drummond posted his Eastern Conference-high 20th double-double with 14 points and 15 rebounds.
Bobcats small forward Jeff Taylor suffered a right Achilles tendon injury 37 seconds into the game and was helped off the court. He will undergo further testing on Saturday in Charlotte. Taylor has started eight games in place of injured Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (fractured left hand).
Charlotte opened the fourth quarter with a 17-4 run, capped by a 3-pointer from former Pistons guard Ben Gordon, to pull within 93-92. A Jefferson layup with 4:14 remaining gave the Bobcats their first lead at 100-99 and Walker followed with a 3-pointer.
Jefferson's three-point play with 2:08 left bumped Charlotte's lead to 108-101. The stunned Pistons couldn't muster a response.
Reserve center Josh Harrellson gave the Pistons a major boost off the bench during the first half, scoring 12 points as Detroit led 59-44 at halftime.
Walker and Henderson combined for 29 first-half points, but their teammates shot a combined 5-for-23 from the field.
The duo added another 20 points in the third quarter, but the Bobcats still couldn't get the deficit below 10 points.
NOTES: G Rodney Stuckey, the Pistons' sixth man, missed his second consecutive game with a sore right shoulder. ... Charlotte PG Kemba Walker played in his 175th consecutive game, tying Emeka Okafor for the second longest streak in franchise history. Boris Diaw holds the record with 245. Walker and Golden State SG Klay Thompson are the only members of the 2011 draft class to play in every game. "He has a competitiveness and toughness about him that rubs off on his teammates on the floor," Bobcats coach Steve Clifford said. ... Detroit F Josh Smith made his 900th career steal during the closing seconds of the first quarter. ... Charlotte has an 8-5 record in games decided by six or fewer points, best among teams that have played a minimum of eight such games. ... Detroit, which has a three-game road trip next week, is 7-6 away from The Palace this season. It's the first time the Pistons have been above .500 on the road since winning their opener during the 2009-10 season. ... G Chris Douglas-Roberts, signed by the Bobcats on Dec. 11, made his Charlotte debut during the second quarter.
