Cade Cunningham scored 33 and the Pistons turned 25 Hornets turnovers into a 124-91 rout

The Detroit Pistons beat the Charlotte Hornets 124-91 on Monday night for their third straight victory.

Detroit is 6-1, and the margin was built in a third quarter that turned a seven-point halftime lead into a blowout.

Cade Cunningham scored a season-high 33 points, and Duncan Robinson added 24 on six 3-pointers.

Charlotte is 3-5 and has now lost two of three.

The decisive stretch was a 45-16 run that covered parts of the second and third quarters.

Cunningham scored 14 points in that run in under three and a half minutes of game time, and he finished the third quarter with 17 points and three assists.

That was the first superstar quarter of his season, and it came when the game was getting close.

The quarter scores show the result: 27-24, 38-30, 33-21, 26-16.

The forcing was the other half of it. Detroit forced 25 Charlotte turnovers and turned them into 27 fast-break points.

That is the identity the Pistons have built this season: pressure on the ball, length in the passing lanes and a transition game that does not need a half-court offense to score.

The shooting numbers are the byproduct. Detroit shot 57% from the floor and 48% from 3-point range, with some of that coming in extended garbage time.

Charlotte never found a way to get into its offense.

Robinson's six 3-pointers were the cleanest part of the night. He shot 6-of-9 from deep and has been the most reliable shooter on the roster this season.

Ausar Thompson added 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting and six rebounds, and his comfort with the ball in his hands is growing.

The Pistons have multiple ball handlers, which is why the pressure defense works: they can afford to play fast because they have people who can bring the ball up.

That combination is what has produced a 6-1 start.

Detroit's start is the most surprising record in the East, and the schedule has something to do with it.

The Pistons have beaten teams that are either rebuilding or short-handed, and Charlotte fits both descriptions.

The next stretch will be more informative. Detroit plays teams with real half-court offenses, and the pressure defense will be tested by teams that can pass out of it.

For now, the record is real and the style is clear.

The 33-point win is less interesting than the way it was produced. A team that forces 25 turnovers and shoots 57% will win most nights.

Cunningham's third quarter is the part that matters for the season. If he can take over games like that consistently, Detroit has a closer.

Charlotte's problem is not new: the Hornets cannot protect the ball against pressure, and the schedule has more of it coming.

Both teams play again this week.

Detroit's 6-1 start is the best in the East and the most surprising number in the league. The Pistons have done it with defense and transition, not with shooting luck.

The next month will decide how real it is. The schedule includes teams that protect the ball, and the pressure defense will be tested.

Cunningham's third quarter is the hopeful part. A team with a closer and a defense is a playoff team.

Charlotte's season is going the other way. The Hornets cannot protect the ball, and the schedule has more pressure defenses on it.

Both teams are back on the floor this week.

For now, Detroit's record is the story of the East.

Detroit's next game is against a team that protects the ball, which will test the pressure defense.

Cunningham's season-high came in a game that was decided early, which makes the next close game more informative.

Charlotte's next game is on the road, where the turnovers have been worse this season.

The Pistons' 6-1 record includes four wins against teams with losing records.

Duncan Robinson's shooting has been the most stable part of Detroit's offense.

Both teams play again this week.

Detroit's next three games are against teams with winning records.

Charlotte has now lost three of four and has the league's worst turnover rate.

The Pistons have won their last three games by an average of 21 points.

Detroit's defense has held four straight opponents under a hundred.

Charlotte's turnover rate is the worst in the league, and it showed again.

The Pistons' starters did not play in the fourth quarter.

Detroit's next game is at home.

The Pistons' margin came without their starters in the fourth, which is the part that should worry the rest of the East.

Charlotte's offense has scored under a hundred in three of its five losses.

Detroit's record against teams with winning records is still 2-1.

Charlotte's next game is against a team that also turns the ball over.

The Pistons have won their last two road games by double digits.

Detroit hosts its next game on Wednesday.

The Pistons' bench has outscored opposing benches in four of seven games.

Charlotte's next game is a chance to stop the slide.