Kelly Olynyk's buzzer-beater snaps Pistons 15-game losing streak vs. Hornets

Yash Matange

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Kelly Olynyk's buzzer-beater snaps Pistons 15-game losing streak vs. Hornets image

With 2.1 seconds left, the Pistons trailed the Hornets 126-125 at the Spectrum Center. 

Enter Canadian forward Kelly Olynyk. The 6-foot-11 big man not only stepped up to the plate to take the big shot but nailed it to give Detroit the victory. 

That jumper gave him 20 points (in just 24 minutes), which is just two shy of his season-high, making him the fourth player for the Pistons to score 19 or more. 

Detroit were led by the duo of Jerami Grant and Saddiq Bey, who combined for 54 points on 22-of-37 shooting from the field. 

The 127-126 win, the third of their last four games, helps the 15-46 Pistons equal their best stretch of the season. 

It also snaps the team's 15-game losing streak against the Hornets. This is their first victory against Charlotte in over four-and-a-half years since Oct. 18, 2017. 

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Hornets' downward spiral continues

While the result is one to savor for the Pistons, it extends the horrid stretch for the Charlotte franchise. 

Since Jan. 23, including this game, the Hornets have lost 12 of their past 16 games. 

Their abysmal record this season in overtime is probably a reason All-Star LaMelo Ball was motivated to clinch it in regulation but his last-second attempt didn't go in. 

This stretch has had the team suffer a huge slump in the standings.

Prior to the games on Jan. 23, the Hornets were 26-20 which was good for seventh in the East. With that record, they trailed the Philadelphia 76ers by just a half-game and on the other end, led the seventh-seeded Toronto Raptors by 2.5 games

Now, with this loss, the team slumps to 30-32 for the season. That ties them with the Atlanta Hawks for the ninth-best record in the East, as they trail the eighth-seeded Brooklyn Nets by 2.5 games. 

Yash Matange

Yash Matange Photo