DETROIT Charlotte Hornets coach Steve Clifford delayed naming a fifth starter in Wednesday’s season opener against the Detroit Pistons, primarily out of concern for how to match up with forward Tobias Harris.
Clifford settled on rookie Dwayne Bacon as a starter, but the Hornets never did figure out how to contain Harris. He scored 17 of the Pistons’ 29 first-quarter points in a 102-90 Hornets loss at the newly-opened Little Caesars Arena.
Clifford was scrambling to manage a shorthanded roster. He was without two starters -- shooting guard Nic Batum (elbow injury) and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (excused personal absence).