Detroit (22-13) went 2-2 on its just-completed road trip, closing out the stretch with a 99-82 loss to Utah on Saturday. The Pistons shot 35.9 percent from the field for the game and scored 35 points in the second half.

"No excuses," guard Allen Iverson said after the Pistons played their second game in as many nights. "It had nothing to do with being the last game of the trip, dead legs, anything. They were just better than us and they whooped us tonight."

Iverson had just 11 points and was one of three Pistons to finish in double figures. Jason Maxiell also had 11 while Rodney Stuckey led Detroit with 19 points.

After Tuesday's contest, the Pistons play three of the next four on the road. Detroit hopes to pick up a victory before opening that stretch, as they'll be going for their seventh win in a row over the Bobcats.

Wallace could give his team a boost as it opens another road-heavy stretch of schedule. He returned Saturday after missing four games due to a sore left foot and had eight points and four rebounds in 23 minutes off the bench.

"For the last few games just seeing my team out there going through the trials they were going through," Wallace said of his game-time decision to play. "I was saying it looks like I can help here or here, but maybe I should have waited until next week to come back."

Detroit remained without Wallace's fellow starting forward Richard Hamilton, who missed his eighth consecutive game because of a partial tear in his left groin. Hamilton, averaging 17.2 points, returned to practice Monday and could play as early as Tuesday, according to the Pistons' official Web site.

A return by Hamilton would be bad news for the Bobcats (14-24), who have lost twice to Detroit this season to push their skid in the series to six. Hamilton has averaged 20.8 points in 15 career games against Charlotte and 18.5 points in the two matchups this season.

Charlotte avoided a third straight loss Saturday by beating Washington 92-89. Raja Bell led the Bobcats with 19 points while Boris Diaw added 18 as Charlotte rallied from a 13-point deficit in the third quarter.

Point guard Raymond Felton was carried off with 10:17 left in the third after stepping on a cameraman, but he returned late despite a sprained ankle and helped spark a 16-2 run.

"I felt like when they saw me come back they were like 'OK, if he's going to come back and play like this, he's hurt, so we've got to do the same for him,'" Felton said of his teammates. "It gave everybody an extra boost, it gave them motivation."

Felton isn't expected to miss any time with the ankle injury, but the Bobcats learned Sunday that guard D.J. Augustin will be out a minimum of 10 days with a strained abdominal muscle. He's averaging 12.1 points and 4.1 assists.

Detroit is 12-4 all-time against the Bobcats and 6-1 at home. Charlotte's last win over the Pistons was a 103-96 victory at The Palace on Jan. 10, 2007.