Cade Cunningham scored 12 of his 22 points in the first quarter to help Detroit build a double-digit lead and he finished with eight assists in a 114-97 win over the Charlotte Hornets on Monday night, the Pistons' largest margin of victory this season. Cunningham reached 1,200 points and 400 assists in his 54th game, getting those totals in a season quicker than any player in franchise history — one game faster than Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas did during the 1984-85 season. “Playing with a guy like that, it makes the game really simple for me and the team,” said Jalen Duren, who had 20 points and 10 rebounds.
Monty Williams walked all the way across the court from the Pistons bench to the opposite sideline, yelling at an official where he insisted a foul was missed. “Upon postgame review, we determined that Thompson gets to the ball first, and then was deprived of the opportunity to gain possession of the ball,” crew chief James Williams said.