CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) _ The Charlotte Hornets’ nearly nine-year run of home sellouts ended Tuesday night when they drew 22,617 for a contest against the Detroit Pistons.

Charlotte, which went into the game looking to build on the best start in franchise history, had sold out 364 consecutive games at the 24,042-seat facility, a run that began Dec. 23, 1988.

The Hornets’ home sellout streak was the second-longest in the NBA. The Chicago Bulls have sold out 465 consecutive home games.

The Sacramento Kings’ run of 497 straight home sellouts ended earlier this month.

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The Hornets drew 985,722 fans last season when they won a club-record 54 games and led the league in attendance for the seventh year in a row and the eighth in the club’s nine-year history.

``We still have hopes of leading the league in attendance for the ninth time and are still pleased about having a league-high 20,000 season tickets,″ said Sam Russo, the Hornets’ executive vice president.

Tuesday night’s crowd represented just the sixth time in 376 home dates that every seat in the coliseum was not sold.