Streaking Pistons host lowly Bobcats

(Sports Network) - The Detroit Pistons look to extend their season-best winning streak to five games Sunday when they host the Charlotte Bobcats at The Palace of Auburn Hills.

The Pistons are playing great basketball and have won six of their last seven games. The only blemish during that time was a 126-119 double-overtime heartbreaker in Atlanta to the Hawks.

On Friday, Detroit exacted a little revenge against those same Hawks with an 85-84 victory in The Palace. It was not a pristine win. The Pistons took an 83-66 lead with eight minutes to go in the contest, scored only two points the rest of the way, but hung on for the victory.

In their last eight games, the Pistons have dominated the interior. They are outrebounding teams by an average of 12.8 per game and outscoring them by 11.9 ppg in the paint.

"Each game is a little bit different," said head coach Lawrence Frank. "I wouldn't say there's one reason, but that's the reason why we've won some of these games."

In that bizarre Hawks victory on Friday, forward Austin Daye led the way with 20 points off the bench. Three Pistons - Greg Monroe, Jason Maxiell and Andre Drummond - all had nine rebounds or more.

The Bobcats snapped an 18-game losing streak on New Year's Eve in Chicago, but lost the last time out, a 106-104 defeat, at home to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday.

Kyrie Irving hit a last-second jumper to give the Cavs the victory. Five Bobcats scored in double-digits, led by 27 off the bench from Ben Gordon and 20 from Ramon Sessions. The reserves tallied 59 points.

Defensively, the Bobcats just didn't get the job done. The Cavaliers shot 50 percent from the field and 44 percent from the 3-point line.

Friday's loss marked the 23rd loss since Thanksgiving, versus just two wins. It would be easy for things to fall apart for the Bobcats, but there's still effort every night and the members of the organization know there's nowhere else to look for answers.

"We can't look external, we have to solve this issue," said head coach Mike Dunlap. "We're getting quality leadership. We haven't had any disturbances whatsoever in our locker room. They've been very, very good. They have a way of looking at the positive as we push through this storm of losing."

The Pistons have won the last five games in this series and the Bobcats are 3-11 in Detroit all-time.

The Sports Network