In the final minutes on Tuesday night, the Detroit Pistons had a shot.
They trailed the Charlotte Hornets by one with five minutes to play, and when Killian Hayes went to the free-throw line with less than 10 seconds to play, they had a chance to tie the game. It didn’t work out, and the Hornets held on to beat the Pistons, 102-99, at Little Caesars Arena.
But the fact the Pistons were in position was nothing short of remarkable. It was their second game in as many nights, and they were without four of their top five scorers.