Cunningham's 30 Lift Pistons Past Hornets Despite Miller's Big Night

Detroit got a headline performance from Cade Cunningham and valuable support around him to defeat the Charlotte Hornets 97-89 at Little Caesars Arena on Oct. 28, 2026. The Pistons improved to 4-1, while Charlotte fell to 3-2 despite a standout night from Brandon Miller.

Cunningham powered Detroit with 30 points, five rebounds, seven assists and two steals in 39 minutes. He shot 10-for-22 from the field and 4-for-9 from beyond the arc. Miller answered with 31 points and 12 rebounds, adding three assists and two steals across 38 minutes. Charlotte’s leading scorer finished 12-for-26 from the floor, including 3-for-10 from deep.

The Pistons received efficient contributions from Paul Reed and Daniss Jenkins. Reed scored 16 points on 5-for-7 shooting, made both of his three-point attempts and added three steals and a block. Jenkins delivered 14 points and three assists in 24 minutes, shooting 6-for-10 and posting a plus-11. Duncan Robinson supplied another 13 points, with three three-pointers, four steals and a block despite a 4-for-13 shooting night.

Dennis Schröder backed Miller with 14 points, four rebounds and five assists, making six of 10 shots and two of three from long range. Royce O’Neale and Grayson Allen each scored nine points, with Allen also contributing five rebounds, two steals and two blocks. Those efforts were not enough for Charlotte, as Detroit put four listed performers in double figures to secure the eight-point victory.