Kelly Olynyk's Buzzer Beater Wins It For Detroit

A Kelly Olynyk buzzer beater defeated the Hornets in ironic fashion.

The Pistons hadn't beat the Charlotte Hornets since 2017 — a 15-game losing streak — but Kelly Olynyk had seen enough.

With just 2.1 seconds left, after riding the pine for a while into overtime, Olynyk came in, leaked to the short corner after setting a couple of screen, received a solid pass from Killian Hayes and knocked down a fade away to give the Pistons the win.

After the game Olynyk referenced being ready and staying ready because you never know why or when you might be inserted back into the game. As an 8-year pro, Olynyk knows the drill. He was having a good night, but didn't sulk after returning to the bench. Instead, he stayed plugged in, stepped up and gave Detroit a very satisfying, emotional win on the road. The Pistons have now won three of their last four.

Several other players stepped up as well. Saddiq Bey finished with 28, Jerami Grant chipped in 26, including two huge baskets in overtime and Cade Cunningham managed 19 while battling foul trouble. Obviously Olynyk will go down as the hero, and rightfully so. The big man had the biggest two of the game, but had 18 additional points, including 12 from three-point range to give the Pistons a big boost off the bench. It's also pretty cool that former Michigan standout Isaiah Livers scored his first NBA buckets in the form of two three pointers. He only played 13 minutes but even he contributed in the big win.

The Pistons would certainly like to contain guys like Terry Rozier and Mile Bridges, who scored 33 and 29 respectively, a little better but a win is a win. The Pistons are playing with some confidence and some emotion after breaking this long losing streak against the Hornets and will get a chance to build on it on Tuesday in D.C. against the Wizards.