Detroit refuses to go home, rides Cunningham’s 45 points to force Game 6

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

The Detroit Pistons’ NBA postseason campaign is still not over after they edged the Orlando Magic, 116-109, in Game 5 of the ongoing Eastern Conference first-round playoffs on April 30, 2026.

Entering the crucial game down 1-3, the Pistons played with a much-needed sense of urgency to avoid the huge embarrassment of becoming the seventh top-seeded franchise in NBA history to be eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.

To repel the tough and physical Orlando squad, Detroit needed every ounce of Cade Cunningham’s energy as their superstar dropped 45 big points on an efficient 13-of-23 shooting from the field.

Cunningham’s unconscious start helped the Pistons open the game with a massive 17-point lead, which was enough to survive Orlando’s two huge offensive runs that would have put them back in the driver’s seat.

Midway through the third quarter, Orlando received a huge scoring blitz from Paolo Banchero, steering the Magic to within five points and officially erasing the Pistons’ double-digit cushion.

Answering the call for Detroit was Cunningham, who was reinserted into the game and immediately torched the Magic with eight straight points to restore order.

The other crucial Orlando run came in the fourth, when the duo of Banchero and Anthony Black once again trimmed their deficit to single digits, but coming to the rescue was Cunningham, this time supported by Jalen Duren’s defensive presence inside the paint.

With only 45 seconds remaining, the Magic attempted to spoil Detroit’s home-court win by pulling to within three points, but Cunningham blew the fatal kiss after burying the cold-blooded perimeter jumper that increased the Pistons’ lead back to five points, 114-109.

Orlando desperately tried to answer with a heave from downtown, but Banchero’s back-to-back 3-point attempts were off, resulting in a foul and free throws from the charity stripe for the Pistons.

Aside from his 45-point clinic, Cunningham also did his share of running Detroit’s attack with five assists and grabbed four rebounds.

Tobias Harris stayed solid, scoring the leather with 23 points, while Duren bounced back with an all-around effort of 12 markers, nine boards, two dimes, and two blocks.

On the other hand, Banchero had his best playoff scoring performance after matching Cunningham’s 45 points, but Orlando missed the presence of its starting swingman, Franz Wagner, who was ruled out due to a right calf strain.

The Pistons will look to avoid elimination for the second straight game on May 2, 2026, as they travel back to Orlando for Game 6.