DETROIT _ In the post-trade deadline era, the losses look like they're going to be piling up, as the Pistons go full-steam-ahead in their rebuild.
Some of the losses are going to be close; others are going to be blowouts. Monday's defeat was somewhere in between. Still, a loss is a loss.
The Pistons dropped their third straight game, an 87-76 loss to the Charlotte Hornets at Little Caesars Arena. They head into the All-Star break following Wednesday's matchup against the Orlando Magic.
Thon Maker had 12 points and a career-high 12 rebounds, Bruce Brown added 10 points, 12 rebounds and five assists and Markieff Morris 10 points for the Pistons (19-37), who moved a half-game behind the Hornets for the fourth-worst record in the league.
The Pistons got close early in the fourth quarter, after Morris made two free throws, pulling within 66-61. The Hornets (17-36) countered with an 11-2 run, including two baskets by Cody Zeller and a jumper by Devonte Graham (14 points, seven rebounds and 11 assists).
Maker ended the run with a three-point play off a putback dunk but Graham added two more jumpers and former Michigan State star Miles Bridges (18 points and seven rebounds) had a dunk, spurring a run that pushed the lead to 84-69 with 2:31 left.
Morris had a three-point play and after Malik Monk's dunk and hanging on the rim drew a technical foul, Morris made the free throw, but the Pistons were too far behind to erase the lead.
The Hornets steamed ahead in the first quarter, taking a 21-11 lead with five points from Monk (17 points) and seven points from Bridges.
