The Detroit Pistons kept rolling on Friday night, beating the Charlotte Hornets 118-100 at Spectrum Center to lock Charlotte into the play-in tournament and move one win away from a 60-win season.
Detroit entered the game already secure as the Eastern Conference’s top seed, but the starters still set the tone. Jalen Duren finished with 20 points and a game-high nine rebounds, while Duncan Robinson added 19 points on 6-for-11 shooting.
Cade Cunningham controlled the offense with 14 points and seven assists, and Ronald Holland II chipped in 13 points as Detroit continued to show the balance that has carried it all season. Ausar Thompson added 12 points, giving the Pistons another two-way presence on both ends.
Charlotte stayed close for much of the night. The lead changed hands 11 times and there were 13 ties through late in the third quarter, with neither team able to pull away before Detroit took over.
LaMelo Ball led the Hornets with 27 points and eight assists, while Brandon Miller scored 22. Miles Bridges added 10 points and eight rebounds, but Charlotte could not match Detroit’s execution once the game tightened.
The decisive stretch came after the teams were tied at 87 with 2:46 left in the third quarter. Detroit answered with a 24-8 run to open a 111-92 lead with 6:23 remaining, and the Hornets never recovered.
That burst reflected the Pistons’ edge in shot-making and defensive pressure. Detroit shot 51% from the field, made 9 of 27 from three-point range, and got 29 assists on 45 made baskets.
Charlotte shot just 39% overall and 28% from deep, with the Pistons using rim protection and physical defense to force difficult looks late. Duren’s interior work and Cunningham’s control helped Detroit keep the pace steady once it took the lead for good.
The game also had an early edge to it, with double technicals assessed to Charlotte’s Brandon Miller and Detroit’s Duncan Robinson after a confrontation following Miller’s dunk less than two minutes into the contest.
Detroit improved to 59-22 and will visit Indiana on Sunday, while Charlotte closes its regular season at New York. The Hornets’ loss confirmed their place in the play-in field, while the Pistons now stand one win from their first 60-win season in 20 years.
