Cade Cunningham leads Pistons to blowout win vs. Hornets

Coty M. Davis, The Detroit News on Nov 2, 2026

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Cade Cunningham hit his second 3-pointer at 5:43 in the first quarter. The basket brought Cunningham to 11 points in the period, during which he helped lead the Detroit Pistons to their first 15 points.

At the time, it seemed Cunningham was setting the tone for one of the best scoring performances of his career, but his hot start foreshadowed the shooting the Pistons would have as a whole against the Charlotte Hornets inside Spectrum Center. The Pistons tied their season high with 18 made 3-point field goals, catapulting Detroit to a 124-91 victory Monday night.

Duncan Robinson led the Pistons' 3-point shooting with six triples for 24 points. Ron Holland II and Kevin Huerter each made three 3-point field goals, scoring 11 and nine, respectively.

Although the Pistons' performance against the Hornets was a collective effort, Cunningham's hot start was a testament to his heroic efforts midway through the third quarter. After making five 3-pointers, the Hornets trimmed their 13-point deficit to four (79-75), while Cunningham took charge and helped the Pistons regain momentum, closing the period on a 19-0 run.

The highlight of Cunningham's dominance came at the 2:24 mark of the quarter when Cunningham converted a Hornets turnover into a windmill dunk. He scored 17 points on 8-for-11 shooting during the quarter. The All-NBA guard scored a season-best 33 points on 13-for-20 shooting, including four made 3-point field goals, along with seven assists and five rebounds. Detroit started the fourth quarter by outscoring the Hornets 8-2, extending their run to 27-2.

Ausar Thompson was the only player not to join the 3-point shooting barrage, but the third-year forward contributed significantly to Detroit's offense. He scored 11 of his season-high 14 points in the first half. Thompson also recorded six rebounds and four assists.

Although the Pistons faced the Hornets six days ago, Charlotte showed a new look, with starting point guard Coby White making his season debut after missing the first seven games with a calf injury. Hornets coach Charles Lee felt White's return would be enough to avenge their 97-89 loss on Oct. 28.

However, aside from a brief run midway through the third quarter, the Hornets' play failed to match their production inside Little Caesars Arena, as they finished shooting 39% from the field, 30% from deep. The biggest difference in the Hornets' play was the Pistons' defense on Brandon Miller, which limited the fourth-year forward to a team-best 17 points on 7-of-18 shooting. Naz Reid added 13.

Each time Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff steps onto the Spectrum Center court, he thinks back to the early days of his coaching career. At the franchise’s inception in the 2004-05 season, he served as an assistant coach under his father, Bernie Bickerstaff, who was the coach for the then-Charlotte Bobcats.

It was the only time in Bickerstaff's career he had the opportunity to work alongside his father in the league, and his primary role was to orchestrate plays his father might or might not use.

After his father’s departure in 2007, Bickerstaff began building his own coaching path, joining the Minnesota Timberwolves coaching staff. From there, his career took him to Houston, Memphis, Cleveland and eventually Detroit.

Since his hiring in July 2024, Bickerstaff has helped the Pistons reestablish themselves as championship contenders. Seven games into the 2026-27 campaign, the Pistons have their best start in 11 years, at 6-1, following their victory over the Hornets. Each success Bickerstaff has had in his career stems from lessons he learned while working with his father in Charlotte.

“We had a great time here. It was my first job, so most of the things that I learned about the NBA started here in Charlotte,” Bickerstaff said. “We had a great group of people in the organization that were mentors to me and showed me what NBA coaching basketball — how do you put programs together — was all about from top to bottom. I was 24 when I started here … it holds a special place in my heart.”

Observations and notes

— The streak continues: The Pistons' victory extended their winning streak against the Hornets to seven games. The last time the Pistons lost to Charlotte was on Nov. 21, 2024.

— A sloppy first half: The Pistons and Hornets started the game sloppily, with neither team taking care of the ball, resulting in 18 combined turnovers in the first half. The only turnover that made sense for both teams came at the 1:40 mark of the first quarter, when the Pistons' defense forced the Hornets into a 24-second violation, led by Ron Holland and Daniss Jenkins.

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