Detroit becomes 15th team to rally from 1-3 deficit

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

What a way to cap off the first round of the NBA playoffs.

For the first time in NBA history, two teams were able to climb back from 1-3 first-round series deficits to advance to the semifinal round of the postseason.

After the Philadelphia 76ers’ stunning come-from-behind seven-game series win over the Boston Celtics, here come the Detroit Pistons.

At the raucous Little Caesars Arena in Michigan, 20,062 fans witnessed greatness as Detroit pulled off a series-sealing 116-94 Game 7 win over the Orlando Magic on May 4, 2026.

The win also broke the franchise’s 18-year drought without a playoff series win since 2008.

The last time Detroit advanced, the Motor City was still led by Chauncey Billups, Rip Hamilton, Rasheed Wallace, and Tayshaun Prince.

Fresh off a miraculous 24-point comeback in Game 6, the Pistons picked up where they left off, sucking the life out of Orlando to formalize their entry into the semifinal stage of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Hounded by back-to-back sloppy starts in Games 5 and 6 that prevented them from setting the tone early, Detroit finally had enough and immediately stepped on the gas pedal to build an 11-point advantage in the first half, 60-49.

The one-two punch of Tobias Harris and Cade Cunningham came through when the Pistons needed them most, combining for 38 of Detroit’s first-half points on efficient shooting from the paint and the perimeter.

Harris helped the Pistons dictate the pace with his early mid-range clinic, backstopped by Cunningham’s aggressiveness to the hole that put pressure on the entire Orlando frontcourt.

Despite Paolo Banchero’s offensive resurgence, Detroit’s defensive lockdown on Desmond Bane, Jalen Suggs, and Anthony Black derailed Orlando’s comeback attempt, as the trio was held to dismal 11-of-31 combined shooting from the floor.

Orlando switched to an unconventional man-to-man zone defense in hopes of restoring order, helping contain Cunningham’s ability to slice and dice underneath the paint when the third quarter kicked off.

Just when the Magic thought they could sustain their adjusted defensive scheme, Detroit head coach J.B. Bickerstaff countered with a post offense as the Pistons fed Jalen Duren in the shaded lane, causing Orlando’s man-to-man defense to collapse at the top of the key.

All Detroit did was throw a high-low pass to Duren, let him operate, and, when Bane and Suggs closed in to trap the physical center, the Pistons’ left and right corner pockets were always open, resulting in Duncan Robinson and Daniss Jenkins’ 3-point conversions.

Orlando ran out of options in the final quarter of the game, as Cunningham started to take over with an early 6-0 offensive burst to extend Detroit’s biggest lead of the ballgame to 25 points.

To make things worse, Harris continued to torch the Magic, exploiting several mismatches in the post, courtesy of the Pistons’ pin-down screens to force a big-guard switch on their veteran power forward.

Banchero gave his all and ignited Orlando with a series of difficult step-back 3-pointers, but the massive lead kept piling up as Detroit closed out the game with a stellar 14-5 run.

Cunningham paced Detroit in the historic Game 7 win with a double-double of 32 points, 12 assists, two blocks, and one rebound, while Harris delivered 30 points on efficient 11-of-18 shooting from the field, including five 3-pointers.

Duren had his best showing in the seven-game series with 15 points, 15 rebounds, three assists, and one steal, while Jenkins continued to pay off the trust of the coaching staff with 16 points and five assists off the bench.

On the other hand, Banchero led the Magic with a game-high 38 points, nine rebounds, and six assists, while Bane added 16 points, three rebounds, and three assists.