Whether this is significant won’t become apparent until April, but the Hornets have already won a season series against an Eastern Conference peer.
The Hornets topped the Detroit Pistons 98-86 on Friday at Spectrum Center. The Hornets are 3-0 against the Pistons in a four-game series, so if the two teams finish with the same record, the Hornets own the tiebreaker.
The Hornets led from midway through the first quarter with some of the best defense of their season. Coach James Borrego shook up his rotation in the second half of Wednesday’s comeback victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers, leaning toward defense and experience, and stuck with that lineup Friday.