Jerry Stackhouse was still hurting, but 30 minutes before the Pistons took on Charlotte Wednesday night, he decided to give it a try.

He had missed three games with a strained left groin and was itching to get back into the fray.

He looked rusty early on, committing seven turnovers in the first half. (He finished with eight.) But he shot the ball well, making eight of 13 field goal attempts and eight of 10 free throws. He led the Pistons with 26 points, improving his average to 22.1 per game.

"It got a little stiff as the game went on," he said. "My timing was off, I think. I don't know how much help I was. I helped dig us a hole in the first half. I had a tough time timing plays. I had too many turnovers. It helped them get off to a good start in the first half, and then we were just trying to fight back the whole game. That's not who we are. That's not how we play."

In Stackhouse's absence, the Pistons won two of three and shot the ball well, but coach Rick Carlisle said: "You never want to be without your best player, regardless of the situation."