The Detroit Pistons (27-26) secured a 112-102 victory over the Charlotte Hornets (13-37) on Sunday, with Cade Cunningham leading the way with a triple-double. He finished with 19 points, 12 assists, and 10 rebounds, marking his eighth triple-double of the season.
Tobias Harris added 20 points for Detroit, while Jalen Duren contributed 16 points and 12 rebounds. The Pistons never trailed and built a commanding 39-15 lead after the first quarter.
Miles Bridges led the Hornets with 30 points, and Seth Curry chipped in 26. Charlotte, missing LaMelo Ball and Nick Smith Jr., has now lost seven of its last eight games.
Detroit led by as many as 23 points but saw its advantage shrink when the Hornets opened the fourth quarter with a 14-0 run. Cunningham and Dennis Schroeder responded with key jumpers to halt the comeback attempt.
Schroeder, making his Pistons debut after being acquired at the trade deadline, played 15 minutes and recorded five points and three assists. Malik Beasley scored 17 points off the bench, including five three-pointers.
Charlotte struggled early, shooting just 30% from the field in the first quarter and committing eight turnovers. The Hornets showed fight in the final period but couldn’t erase the deficit.
Moussa Diabaté exited in the second quarter after being hit in the face by Isaiah Stewart. The Hornets’ injury woes continued with multiple key players sidelined.
Detroit’s dominant first quarter tied a franchise record for the largest opening-period lead. Harris and Beasley outscored Charlotte 25-15 on their own in the first 12 minutes.
Despite their struggles, the Hornets shot 46.9% from three-point range, with Curry and Bridges combining for 10 made triples. Charlotte finished with 14 turnovers, leading to 17 Pistons points.
