Marvin Williams also scored 21 points while Kemba Walker supplied 20 points and nine assists for the Hornets. Nicolas Batum contributed 14 points, eight rebounds and five assists, while Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Jeremy Lamb added 11 points apiece to the victory.

Reggie Bullock and Tobias Harris scored 20 points apiece for Detroit. Ish Smith notched a double-double with 19 points and 10 assists, Anthony Tolliver scored 17 points off the bench and Avery Bradley chipped in 15 points.

Charlotte shot 51.2 percent from the field (43 of 84) and connected on 45.5 percent of its 3-point attempts (10 of 22). The Pistons also shot well, making 48.8 percent of their field-goal tries (42 of 86) and 51.7 percent of their threes (15 of 29). But Detroit allowed 68 second-half points while losing for the fifth time in seven games.

Bullock's 12-point first half lifted the Pistons to a 56-50 halftime lead.

Smith's layup with 8:15 remaining in the third gave Detroit a 65-61 lead. The momentum shifted in Charlotte's direction from that point. Charlotte went on a 14-5 run to take a 75-70 lead. Williams and Walker scored four points apiece during that span.

Walker wound up scoring 10 points in the quarter and the Hornets carried an 84-80 lead into the fourth.

Lamb's three-point play and a pullup jumper by Walker pushed Charlotte's advantage to double digits, 96-85, with 7:23 remaining. Harris cut Detroit's deficit to eight with a three-point play but the Hornets scored the next 10 points to increase their lead to 106-88.

Walker supplied five points during that span and Howard converted a three-point play.

Detroit quickly cut Charlotte's lead in half with three consecutive 3-pointers but couldn't get closer than seven points the rest of the way.

The Hornets avenged a 102-90 opening-night loss to the Pistons in the inaugural regular-season game played at Detroit's Little Caesars Arena.

--Field Level Media