Detroit stays hot, blasts Charlotte for 3rd straight NBA win

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

The Detroit Pistons remained unbeaten over the past week after demolishing the Charlotte Hornets, 124-91, to extend their NBA regular-season winning streak to three games on Nov. 3, 2026, at Spectrum Center.

Fresh off a lopsided win over the Brooklyn Nets, the Pistons never missed a beat and played on the road like they were still at Little Caesars Arena.

After a nip-and-tuck affair in the first quarter, Cade Cunningham and the rest of the Pistons completely shut the Hornets down in the last three periods, outscoring them 97-67.

What began as a simple defensive adjustment proved to be the biggest difference-maker after Detroit switched from a 1-2-2 zone defense to suffocating full-court pressure at the start of the second half.

The Pistons started to build a decent lead midway through the second quarter after Cunningham went berserk offensively, scoring the team’s last 11 points to steer Detroit to a 65-54 advantage.

Detroit’s defensive masterclass kicked off in the second half as the Pistons limited the Hornets to just 37 points in the last two quarters, Charlotte’s lowest-scoring half of the season.

Behind Cunningham’s all-around efficiency and Duncan Robinson’s scorching performance from downtown, the Pistons stretched their lead to 23 points in the third quarter. To make things worse for the home team, Charlotte converted only three field goals in the final three minutes and missed its last six attempts entering the final quarter.

Charlotte tried to catch Detroit off guard at the start of the fourth quarter by fielding a huge five-man lineup of Brandon Miller, Naz Reid, Ryan Kalkbrenner, Moussa Diabate and Sion James.

However, the Hornets’ attempt to establish their presence in the paint was to no avail after Detroit head coach JB Bickerstaff answered with a series of pick-and-pop plays between John Collins and Cunningham.

No matter what kind of adjustment the Hornets deployed, Detroit always had an answer.

From their huge frontcourt lineup to their designed plays for Miller in the post against several mismatches, the Pistons handled it all with ease as their quick defensive help along the baseline and blitz double-teams spoiled Charlotte’s plans for a fourth-quarter comeback.

Cunningham then dropped the hammer early with back-to-back 3-pointers that put the Pistons up by 33 points before heading to the bench at the 6:43 mark of the period.

The franchise cornerstone was a man on a mission, leading the Pistons with 33 points on efficient 13-of-20 shooting, alongside seven assists, five rebounds and five steals.

Robinson also stepped up when Detroit needed him most as the veteran shooter delivered 24 points on 6-of-9 shooting from downtown, three assists, three steals and two rebounds.

Both teams will return to action Nov. 5, with the Pistons seeking their fourth straight win in a highly anticipated duel against the Philadelphia 76ers, while the Hornets aim to redeem themselves against the Brooklyn Nets.