Late Events Lift Pistons Over Bobcats, 108-103

The Detroit Pistons needed a lucky basket and a controversial call against the Bobcats on Saturday night to avoid their first consecutive losses of the season.

Clinging to a two-point lead, Tayshaun Prince drove the ball toward the basket and tossed up a running jump shot as he was fouled. The ball went in with 4.9 seconds to play, Prince made the ensuing free throw and the Pistons wrapped up a 108-103 win.

“They were just trying to foul, so the common-sense thing to do is throw it up at the basket,” Prince said. “As long as you don’t dribble no more, it’s a continuation.”

But Brevin Knight, who was called for the foul, vehemently disagreed and said afterward that he’s tired of calls continually going against the Bobcats.

“It’s becoming a joke -- it really is,” Knight said. “Especially when the other team comes out and they’re just laughing at it like they can’t believe that it happened. We’re used to it. We just kind of roll with the punches.”

Richard Hamilton scored 23 points for the Pistons, who lost to New York on Friday.

Detroit trailed for much of the game before taking the lead late in the third quarter. The Pistons went up by as many as 10 points midway through the fourth but couldn’t put the Bobcats away.

Charlotte used an 8-2 run to cut its deficit to 102-98, but both teams went cold shortly after.

Ben Wallace missed four consecutive free throws for Detroit, then Chauncey Billups missed a three-point shot and Rasheed Wallace was off on an 18-footer as the Pistons went more than three minutes without a point. The Bobcats weren’t any better, managing only a free throw from Knight during that time.