Detroit Pistons Beat Hornets 97-89 Behind Cade Cunningham’s 30-Point Performance

With both teams tied at 3-1 atop the Eastern Conference entering the game, the Detroit Pistons were able to mount a timely second half comeback to defend home court in their 97-89 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday night. 

For Detroit, the team continued to adjust to their temporary life without Jalen Duren (strained hamstring) in the lineup, but Paul Reed was more than up to the task with 16 points, four rebounds, three steals and one block in his starting role. B-Ball Paul also let it fly from long-range with a pair of three-pointers to help the Pistons’ cause, and the veteran big man had another clutch performance given Detroit’s altered depth chart. 

But as Cade Cunningham has been known to do, the Pistons point guard generated more than enough offense to compensate for the absences of Duren and Isaiah Joe. With 30 points, five rebounds, seven assists and two steals, the All-Star floor general helped steer Detroit on a second-half comeback that showed the Hornets still need more time to develop before climbing into the upper echelon of the Eastern Conference despite their hot start. 

During that second half period, Cunningham helped push the team’s offense in a much safer direction that produced 17 assists to just two turnovers and allowed for the Pistons to steadily work their way back into the lead. 

Playing in his second game back from a sprained ankle, Ausar Thompson looked more comfortable on the floor and contributed in a variety of ways with seven points, nine rebounds, eight assists and one block, although it was his well-timed kick out to Cunningham that sealed the Pistons win from long-range with less than a minute remaining.

In terms of three-point contributions, Cunningham led the way with four deposits from beyond the arc, but Duncan Robinson chipped in with a 3-for-8 performance of his own from distance to regain his rhythm. The most surprising perimeter contributions, though, came from Reed who was a perfect 2-for-2 on triple attempts against the Hornets. 

For the most part, Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff kept the team’s bench tight and stuck to a four-man substitute rotation of Ron Holland II, Kevin Huerter, Daniss Jenkins and Javonte Green. While Taurean Prince and Tolu Smith also checked into the game, they only logged seven minutes for Detroit, so that four-man group was responsible for the majority of the reserve-flight’s heavy lifting. 

Out of that unit, Jenkins went up against Dennis Schroder for much of the night, and that high-octane duel encapsulated a physical element that was present all game long between the Pistons and Hornets. Although there were not as many fireworks as last season’s bench-clearing brawl, the two teams play a similarly competitive brand of basketball that focuses on strength in the low post, so there were bound to be small flares and dust-ups at some point. 

Last night, Bickerstaff shared his thoughts on the officiating disparity that was present during Detroit’s road loss to the Knicks, a game in which the Pistons had 28 fouls called against them. Just one night later, Detroit was whistled for four fewer personals against the Hornets, but Wednesday night’s game was just as physical, if not more. Either way, the Pistons held the Hornets to under 90 points, which is a feat in an of itself in the modern NBA. 

With that win in the books, the Pistons remain atop the East with a 4-1 mark before they’re set to hit the road again for a 7:30 pm matchup with the Brooklyn Nets on Friday, Oct. 30.