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Playing the second half of a back-to-back and the fourth game in five days, the Bobcats faced a tough test on Saturday as they took on a talented Detroit Pistons team.

With one of the longest tenured starting groups in the league, the Pistons showed why they are the top team in the NBA as they handed the Bobcats a 114-91 loss.

The Pistons received a balanced effort on Saturday as they shot 53.8 percent (42-78) from the field and had seven players finish in double figures. Richard Hamilton led the way with 19 points while Maurice Evans added 18.

Primoz Brezec paced the Bobcats with 18 points while Gerald Wallace continued his outstanding play, adding 14 points and eight rebounds. Charlotte was without Wallace though in the fourth quarter as the 6-7 forward left the game with a hamstring injury.

Both teams came out shooting well, as Charlotte connected on six of their first 10 shots and the Pistons hit seven of their first 10. With Charlotte trailing by one (14-13) with 5:39 left in the first quarter, the Pistons outscored the Bobcats 7-1 over a 2:11 stretch to take a seven-point lead. Two free throws by Carlos Arroyo at the end of the first helped push the Pistons lead to nine.

I told my group that they're a special group of young men and I would go in a foxhole with them any day. They never lay down.

Detroit continued to attack in the second quarter going on a 9-0 run, capped by a three point play by Evans, to push their margin to 16.

Charlotte chipped away at the lead cutting it down to 10, but they couldn't stop the Pistons as Detroit outscored the Bobcats 9-2 to end the half and take a 60-43 lead at the break.

Five points by Raymond Felton helped the Bobcats go on a 10-4 run to open the third and trim the Pistons' lead to 11. Charlotte could not cut the deficit any further as they fell to 11-26 on the season.

With the Bobcats missing Wallace in the fourth quarter, the Pistons took advantage, going on a 16-5 run over a 5:08 stretch to build a 24-point advantage with 2:42 to go.

Charlotte will look to get back in the win column as they return home to host the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets in a special 1:00 p.m. matinee game on Monday.

NOTES: After missing Friday's game due to back spams, Brevin Knight returned to action on Saturday...He posted 10 points and five assists off the bench...Knight and Gerald Wallace came into tonight's game tied atop the league leaderboard in steals...In tonight's contest Wallace finished with three steals while Knight had one...The Pistons shot 52.9 percent (9-17) from three-point range in the game...With 12 points tonight, Jumaine Jones has finished in double-figures in five of the last six games...Over that stretch he is averaging 12.5 points and 5.5 rebounds.

INSIDE THE LOCKER ROOM
Head Coach Bernie Bickerstaff
(On the Pistons) That's a pretty good basketball team. They're very efficient. Most teams have a go-to guy, that basketball team has a go-to team. They're very good and very efficient. When the guy's open, they get the basketball. Then they bring Antonio McDyess off the bench; it's a very good basketball team. They've even got (Dale) Davis that they can't get minutes for. I told my group that they're a special group of young men and I would go in a foxhole with them any day. They never lay down.

(On Gerald Wallace) You know we had to hold him out. Our trainer said at halftime that he was having some pain. We were going to try to play him for five minutes and then decided to hold him out. He's playing terrific. He's a handful to handle. He's gaining respect, but if respect is going to the free-throw line, then he isn't quite there yet but he's making progress.

(On the rest of the team): I was happy with how the rest of the guys played. We're tried to catch up, but not with that basketball team. The fact that Brevin Knight came back and played, that was good. Alan Anderson had a chance to get some minutes. I told them we're leaving for Charlotte, so take a quick shower and let's get out of here.

Forward Bernard Robinson
(On the Pistons) No, it's not the team that you want to come in undermanned. You have to play a perfect game to beat them. They're a team that's going to take advantage of that big-time. They're a very good team that's been playing together for a long time so that experience carries them a long way. (On their play) We have to play perfect to play with that team. They're playing at the highest level that you can possibly play at right now and we came in under-manned. They just took advantage of every opportunity.