Getty

Cade Cunningham is enjoying a career year in Detroit

The fighting Detroit Pistons, led by their star, refused to let their season slide Wednesday night. 

Facing elimination and trailing 3-1 in the first-round series against the  Orlando Magic, the top-seeded Pistons delivered a 116-109 victory in Game 5 at Little Caesars Arena to force a Game 6. 

The win kept Detroit’s playoff hopes alive and suspended what would have been perceived as a major upset in the first round. 

The franchise entered the playoffs as one of three teams to win 60 regular-season games and the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. Detroit almost joined a short and unwelcome list of early exits.

Cade Cunningham Writes Name in the Record Books

The Pistons’ Game 5 win was defined by a singular performance that added a new chapter in franchise history. Cade Cunningham finished with 45 points on the night.

GettyDetroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham drives past Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner during their first-round playoff series. Wagner was ruled out for Game 5 with a calf injury.

After the final buzzer, the Pistons wasted no time in sharing the news that their franchise cornerstone had made history. The team announced on social media Cunningham became the first player in franchise history to score 45 points in the playoffs.

“Put it in the record books,” the Pistons wrote in an X post. 

It was a historic performance that came at the right time for the Pistons. Cunningham’s 45-point game came on 13-for-23 shooting, 5-for-8 from beyond the arc, and a perfect 14-for-14 from the free-throw line. He also contributed five assists and four rebounds in 44 minutes of action. 

Cunningham’s biggest play of the night was perhaps a step-back jumper with 32 seconds remaining that pushed the lead to five points and proved to be the dagger in a back-and-forth duel that saw Orlando’s Paolo Banchero match him with 45 points of his own.

It was only a matter of time because if anyone was going to break that franchise scoring record it was going to be Cunningham. 

Since he arrived in Detroit in 2021 as the No. 1 overall pick, the 24-year-old star guard has transformed the franchise. 

The Pistons have gone from losing 60 games to winning 60 games in the space of five years, all without any big-name superstar additions. They have also now reached the postseason in back-to-back years for the first time in nearly two decades.

Pistons Must Win Game 6 or Face Historic Upset

The celebration of Cunningham’s latest feat comes with an immediate reality check. The Pistons may have staved off elimination, but they still trail the series 3-2. 

Next up is Game 6 in Orlando on Friday night.

The Pistons must grind out a road win to force a series-deciding Game 7 back at Detroit. The pressure is certainly on them as a top seed looking to avoid elimination from a Magic side that entered as the No. 8 seed following the play-in tournament. 

The other two 60-win teams in the league this season have already punched their tickets to the second round, advancing without the drama of a Game 6. 

The Pistons are still fighting for survival in the opening round and will face a stern test in Orlando. They will look to avoid joining the 2023 Milwaukee Bucks as the recent No. 1 seed to fall in the opening round of the playoffs.