DETROIT — Langston Galloway’s shot from around midcourt rimmed out at the buzzer, and the Charlotte Hornets held on for a 110-107 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Friday night.
Charlotte completed a home-and-home sweep of the Pistons this week. Detroit must be wondering what it has to do to beat the Hornets. Charlotte edged the Pistons 109-106 earlier in the month and 102-101 on Wednesday night.
This matchup went down to the wire again. The Hornets rallied from an eight-point deficit in the final quarter and led by three with 8.9 seconds left. Detroit inbounded the ball, and Luke Kennard missed a 3-pointer from near the top of the key. Galloway was able to run down the loose ball, and his last-ditch shot looked on line, but it wouldn’t go in.
P.J. Washington scored 26 points for Charlotte, and Terry Rozier added 23. The Hornets were without center Cody Zeller because of a left hip injury.
Derrick Rose led the Pistons with 23 points.
With the score tied at 95, Galloway got a very friendly bounce off the rim when he sank a 3-pointer while being fouled. That four-point play started an 8-0 run, but Charlotte rallied.
Devonte’ Graham put the Hornets up 108-106 with a 3-pointer — the Hornets went 19 of 38 from beyond the arc.
Blake Griffin had a chance to tie it with 1:29 remaining, but he made just one of two free throws, and the Pistons didn’t score again. Detroit finished 10 of 20 from the line.
76ERS 101, KNICKS 95: Joel Embiid had 27 points and 17 rebounds, James Ennis III scored 18 of his 20 points in the second half, and Philadelphia overcame a sluggish start to win at New York.
Tobias Harris scored 19, and Ben Simmons chipped in 16 points, including a game-sealing steal and dunk late in the fourth quarter for the 76ers, who have won two straight and six of seven.
Julius Randle had 22 points and 10 rebounds, and Marcus Morris Sr. scored 20 points for the Knicks, who have lost a season-high five straight.
The 76ers were playing without starters Al Horford (rest) and Josh Richardson (right hamstring injury) and it showed in the first half as their offense struggled. Philadelphia shot 13 for 38 from the field, including 2 for 18 behind the 3-point line.
But the Sixers rallied from a 51-39 halftime deficit by outscoring the Knicks 16-11 over the final seven minutes of the third quarter for a 70-68 lead entering the final quarter. The Knicks offense sputtered, going 0 for 9 with two turnovers down the stretch in the third.
BUCKS 119, CAVALIERS 110: Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 11 of his 33 points in the fourth quarter and visiting Milwaukee held off Cleveland for its 10th straight victory.
Cleveland trailed 74-52 early in the third quarter, but hit 10 3-pointers in the period and cut the lead into single figures. The Cavaliers continued to rally and Kevin Love’s layup made it 113-110 with 2:20 left – Cleveland’s final points of the game.
Khris Middleton’s jumper and two free throws by George Hill put the game away, but Antetokounmpo was once again the difference-maker. The reigning MVP scored in a variety of ways with the game on the line, including a 3-pointer, a floating jumper, a tip-in and a dunk off an offensive rebound.
RAPTORS 90, MAGIC 93: Norman Powell scored a career-best 33 points as Toronto Raptors won its sixth straight game, beating the Magic in Orlando, Florida.
Powell was 7-for-9 shooting in the third quarter, including three 3-pointers.
Fred Van Fleet added 22 points for the Raptors, who won despite Pascal Siakam’s 4-for-22 shooting. Siakam finished with 10 points and 13 rebounds.
Evan Fournier scored 19 points for Orlando, which has lost four of five. Markelle Fultz added 15 points. Aaron Gordon, who played 32 minutes for Orlando after missing three games with a right ankle contusion, had eight points and eight rebounds.
The Magic led by 11 twice in the first half. Van Fleet hit a pair of 3-pointers that helped the Raptors cut Orlando’s lead to 47-40 by halftime.
Powell scored Toronto’s first 10 points in the second half, eight as part of a 13-0 run that gave the Raptors a 60-53 lead late in the third quarter.
Powell’s final 3-pointer gave Toronto an 83-72 lead, their largest of the game, with less than three minutes left.
HEAT 122, WARRIORS 105: Goran Dragic scored 20 points, Tyler Herro added 19 and Miami remained perfect at home this season with win over Golden State.
Duncan Robinson scored 17 for Miami, which is 8-0 at home for the second time in franchise history – tying the mark set by the 2012-13 Heat. Robinson and Herro were a combined 10 for 13 from 3-point range. Jimmy Butler scored 16, while Kendrick Nunn – who was with the Warriors’ G League team last year – and Kelly Olynyk each had 15 for the Heat.
JAZZ 103, GRIZZLIES 94: Bojan Bogdanovic scored 16 of his 33 points in the fourth quarter, helping Utah pull away for a win at Memphis, Tennessee.
Bogdanovic matched his season-high scoring mark, going 12 of 20 from the field, including 4 of 8 from 3-point range as Utah snapped a two-game losing streak. Donovan Mitchell added 20 points, and Rudy Gobert had 13 points, 13 rebounds and a pair of blocks.
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