Pistons rout Bobcats 113-93 for 3rd straight win

[April 13, 2013]  AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) -- Jonas Jerebko scored 17 of his 21 points in the first half, and the Detroit Pistons routed the Charlotte Bobcats 113-93 on Friday night behind terrific outside shooting.

Detroit went 12 of 18 from 3-point range, with Brandon Knight making all three of his attempts. Knight scored 19 points. Kemba Walker scored 24 in the first half for the Bobcats but finished with only 28.

Will Bynum had 15 points and 10 assists for Detroit. Rookie Andre Drummond had 15 points and nine rebounds but appeared to hurt his right ankle late in the game.

Detroit has won three in a row for only the second time all season. The Pistons had a four-game winning streak snapped by Charlotte in January.

Either the Bobcats (18-61) or the Orlando Magic (20-59) will finish with the NBA's worst record this season, and although Walker's impressive first half kept Charlotte in the game for a while, the Pistons pulled away in the third quarter.

Detroit led 59-53 at the half, and Kyle Singler made a couple 3-pointers early in the third to help the Pistons take a 70-57 lead.

Charlotte scored four points on one possession later in the period thanks to technical fouls on Detroit's Greg Monroe and Rodney Stuckey. That made it 75-68, but the Pistons finished the quarter on a 12-5 run, and Khris Middleton started the fourth with a 3-pointer for a 90-73 lead.

It was 100-79 after Bynum strolled to the basket for an absurdly easy layup. Charlotte took a timeout with 8:10 to go, and the Bobcats at least prevented the Pistons from reaching their season high in points. That is still 119.

Drummond, a promising rookie who has already missed significant time with back problems, left after rolling his ankle under the basket. He stayed down for a while and appeared to be in plenty of pain, but he was able to walk off the court slowly with 5:30 to go.

NOTES: Pistons G Jose Calderon (strained right triceps) missed his third straight game, and Charlotte G Ramon Sessions (sprained left knee) has been out since early March.

[Associated Press; By NOAH TRISTER]

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