October 29, 2026 at 3:19 AM UTC

Postgame Report

Cunningham's 30 Lift Pistons Past Short-Handed Hornets, 97-89

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A night after their first loss of the season, the Pistons got 30 from Cade Cunningham and outlasted a Charlotte team missing three rotation players.

Detroit had one night to get over its first loss of the season, a 111-97 defeat at Madison Square Garden, and it spent Wednesday doing it the hard way on the second night of a back-to-back. The Pistons beat Charlotte 97-89 at home. Cade Cunningham played 39 minutes, more than anyone on either side, and finished with 30 points, five rebounds and seven assists.

The Hornets arrived without Kon Knueppel, Coby White or Grant Williams, all ruled out before tip, and the offense leaned on Brandon Miller to make up the difference. He did, with 31 points, 12 rebounds and three assists in 38 minutes, the only double-double of the night. Dennis Schroder added 14 and five assists, but the next-best scorers had nine apiece: Moussa Diabate, Grayson Allen and Royce O'Neale. That is a lot of weight for one wing to carry for 48 minutes.

Detroit had its own gaps. Jalen Duren remains out with a hamstring strain, which put Paul Reed in the starting frontcourt, and he gave the Pistons 16 points over 38 minutes. Isaiah Joe sat with a right hip contusion, leaving the rotation thinner on a short turnaround. Ausar Thompson, listed as probable with the sprained ankle he picked up against Miami, played 29 minutes and filled the stat sheet with seven points, nine rebounds and eight assists. Daniss Jenkins came off the bench for 14 points, and Duncan Robinson had 13.

There was history in the building, too. Detroit swept Charlotte last season, and one of those wins, 110-104, included a brawl that cost four players suspensions. This was the first meeting of the new season, and the Pistons took it by eight.

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