Cade Cunningham helps Pistons overcome slow start, beat Hornets

Oct 28, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Charlotte Hornets forward Moussa Diabate (14) gets fouled by Detroit Pistons forward Duncan Robinson (55) and guard Javonte Green (31) while driving to the basket in the first quarter at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images Cade Cunningham scored 30 points and the Detroit Pistons used a strong second half to defeat the visiting Charlotte Hornets 97-89 on Wednesday night. Paul Reed added 16 points, reserve Daniss Jenkins posted 14 points and Duncan Robinson chipped in 13 points. Cunningham, who also supplied seven assists, shot 10-for-22 from the field and made 4 of 9 three-pointers. The Pistons have won four of five games this season, bouncing back from a loss Tuesday night to the New York Knicks Charlotte's Brandon Miller scored 31 points for his third consecutive game reaching 30 points, but he had only four points across the final 15 minutes and there wasn't enough other offense to keep the Hornets going. Dennis Schroder (14 points) was the only other Charlotte player in double figures. The Pistons, playing their second home game of the season, trailed 51-44 at halftime before cranking up their offense and surging into a 76-70 lead by the end of the third quarter. What had been a 12-point first-half lead for Charlotte turned into an 80-70 hole after Cunningham produced the first two baskets of the fourth quarter. Four minutes into the fourth quarter, Miller was the only Charlotte player with a double-digit point total. Miller ended up 12-for-26 from the field with a 3-for-10 mark on 3-pointers. Miller also pulled in a game-high 12 rebounds, but the Hornets had their two-game winning streak halted. Aside from Miller, Charlotte's other starters combined to go 4-for-10 from outside the arc. There was some balance to the Hornets' overall scoring with Moussa Diabate and reserves Royce O'Neale and Grayson Allen all scoring nine points. A night after the Pistons assigned plenty of minutes to reserves as they were falling into a big hole, the starters carried the load against Charlotte. The Hornets held an early 13-4 advantage. The Pistons began the second half on a 13-5 run, capped by a Cunningham 3-pointer. --Field Level Media