The Charlotte Hornets hit a hard wall on Wednesday night. Their two-game winning streak snapped after a sloppy finish against the Detroit Pistons. Cade Cunningham scored 30 points to lead Detroit to a 97-89 victory. The Hornets started strong but could not hold their lead.
Charlotte held a 13-4 advantage early in the game. They even led by 12 points in the first quarter. That lead vanished quickly in the second half. Detroit started the third quarter with a 13-5 run. They took the lead by the end of the third period.
Brandon Miller Carries Heavy Load
Brandon Miller tried to do everything for Charlotte. He scored 31 points, marking his third straight game with 30 or more. He also grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds. But he only had four points in the final 15 minutes. The rest of the starters could not help him. Charlotte had just one additional scorer, Dennis Schroder, who added 14 points. Moussa Diabate, Royce O’Neale, and Grayson Allen each scored nine points. That is not enough support to beat a team that knows how to close out games.
Miller shot 12-for-26 from the field. He missed heavily from deep, going just 3-for-10 on three-pointers. Outside the arc, the remaining starters shot a combined 4-for-10. The Pistons used that to their advantage. Cunningham made the first two baskets of the final period to seal the deal.
Defense Breaks Down Late
Detroit found their rhythm when they needed it most. Paul Reed added 16 points for the Pistons. Reserve Daniss Jenkins posted 14 points. Duncan Robinson chipped in 13 points. The Pistons have won four of five games this season. They bounced back from a loss to the New York Knicks just the night before. Their starters carried the load, but reserves also contributed.
The Hornets had an early 13-4 lead. But Detroit began the second half on a 13-5 run. This run was capped by a Cunningham three-pointer. The Pistons trailed 51-44 at halftime. By the close of the third quarter, they had taken a 76-70 lead. The Hornets’ offense stalled. They could not find a way to score against a defense that stepped up. Field Level Media noted that the Hornets lacked sufficient secondary offense to sustain their run.
