The Charlotte Hornets got buried by the Detroit Pistons on a night when Cade Cunningham and Duncan Robinson kept turning every opening into points. Detroit’s 124-91 win was never really in doubt once the fourth quarter arrived, and the Pistons’ offense had Charlotte chasing shadows for most of the night.
Cunningham led the way with 33 points, five rebounds and seven assists while shooting 13-for-20. Robinson added 24 points, two rebounds and three assists, going 8-for-11 from the field and 3-for-9 from deep. Detroit’s attack was ruthless enough to post a 128.0 offensive rating and a 70.2% effective field goal percentage, which landed in the 100th percentile.
Charlotte came into the game with the league’s 14th-ranked defense at a 110.6 defensive rating, but Detroit found ways to slice through it anyway. Some of that came from hot shooting - the Pistons hit 18 of 37 from three, with Cunningham knocking down four and Ron Holland adding three - but the bigger issue was how easily Detroit got out in transition.
Cunningham helped ignite the game-changing 27-2 run by pushing the pace after blocks, misses and Hornets turnovers. Even when Charlotte forced the Pistons into halfcourt possessions, Detroit still managed a 112.9 offensive rating there.
There were a few Hornets bright spots, even if they were hard to find in the final score. The second-year guard James drew praise for handling the noise around him and still producing against Detroit. He hit three three-pointers, looked comfortable attacking off the dribble and defended Cunningham and Robinson with physical man-to-man pressure.
Moussa Diabate and Ryan Kalkbrenner each grabbed five offensive rebounds, but Charlotte did not make enough of those extra chances. Through three quarters, the Hornets had 16 offensive rebounds and only eight second-chance points. That has become a theme, because if Charlotte is going to lean on its work on the glass, it has to cash in more often.
Dennis Schroder’s night was a mess. He can still blow by defenders and finish with his scoop layup when the lane opens, but when it doesn’t, the mistakes pile up fast.
He committed four turnovers in the first half, and Charlotte was outplayed badly during his minutes. With Coby White limited, those stretches become even harder to survive.
White did make his first appearance of the season, and his first basket - a deep three in a halfcourt set - was the kind of shot Charlotte needs from its starting point guard. He still looked rusty, though, and there is clearly more to come as he works back into rhythm.
One of the game’s more eye-catching moments came when Miller threw down a slam that looked, at the time, like it might swing momentum. It never really did. Detroit kept rolling, and the Hornets never found a way to turn that burst into something bigger.
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Charlotte has been piecing together its rotation as other pieces have come back into the fold, including starting guard Coby White, while Grant Williams was recently sent to the G League affiliate for practice. Knueppels return matters because the Hornets have been searching for spacing and shot-making, and his presence should help open things up for a group that has been trying to find a better offensive rhythm. [Read more 🡒]