AUBURN HILLS, Mich. - New Orleans rookie Hilton Armstrong made the most of his chance to play.

The rookie from Connecticut made a free throw with 3 seconds left, then got a key offensive rebound to help the New Orleans Hornets beat the Detroit Pistons 100-99 Wednesday night.

With the score tied at 99, Armstrong made the first of two free throws to put the Hornets ahead. He missed the second, but got to the rebound and batted it to midcourt as time expired.

"Before I went to the line, I tied my shoe ¡ª I didn't need to, but it gave me a second to calm down and relax," said Armstrong, who came into the game with zero career points in six minutes. "I was pretty excited. On the second one, I didn't want to grab it and get a foul, so I just tipped it."

Paul had 20 points and 13 assists for New Orleans, while Armstrong finished with 17 points and nine rebounds in his first start.

"That kid got a chance to play tonight and he made a statement," Tayshaun Prince said. "That keeps happening to us ¡ª young guys come in all fired up and play great against us."

Armstrong and Brandon Bass, another little-used reserve, stepped into the starting lineup with David West and Tyson Chandler injured and combined for 29 points and 16 rebounds.

"I told them before the game that they were getting an opportunity, and it was up to them to take advantage of it," said New Orleans coach Byron Scott. "I didn't expect 17 points from Hilton, and I don't think he thought about scoring like that, either. That's probably why he was able to do it."

Chauncey Billups led all scorers with 29 points, while Richard Hamilton added 23. The Pistons are 3-5, their worst start since they had the same record on their way to 50 losses in 2000-01.

"It's still early in the season, but it is late enough that this is getting old," Billups said. "It is just mental breakdowns. We're playing hard, but we've got three guys going one way and two going another way."

The Pistons missed all six 3-pointers in the first half, but got rolling from behind the line in the second half. Hamilton hit two key 3-pointers in the third, and Detroit knocked down three in just over a minute of the fourth quarter to take an 89-86 lead.

The teams traded the lead for the next several possessions, and the game was tied at 97 with a minute left.

Bobby Jackson fouled Billups, and his pair from the line gave the Pistons the lead, but Rasheed Wallace fouled Paul with 42 seconds to play.

Paul made both shots, tying the game at 99.

Wallace missed a 3-pointer, and Paul found Armstrong under the basket, where he was fouled by Hamilton.

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