The drought is over in Detroit and it didn’t just end quietly, it ended with authority. For the first time in nearly two decades, the Detroit Pistons are moving on.
Behind a spectacular performance from Cade Cunningham and a dominant supporting effort, Detroit crushed the Orlando Magic 116-94 in Game 7 on Sunday, clinching the series 4-3 and marking the franchise’s first playoff series win in 18 years.
Cunningham delivered a superstar performance when it mattered most, finishing with 32 points and 12 assists while averaging an incredible 32.4 points across the series. He controlled the tempo from start to finish, dismantling Orlando’s defense and rising to every big moment.
But this Game 7 wasn’t a one-man show.
Tobias Harris delivered his best game of the postseason, pouring in 30 points and giving Detroit the crucial second scoring option it needed. His 17-point explosion in the second quarter helped swing the game decisively.
In doing so, Cunningham and Harris etched their names into franchise history becoming the first Pistons teammates to each score 30+ points in a playoff game since Bob Lanier and Howard Porter in 1977.
Detroit seized control late in the first half, closing on a 9-2 run to take a 60-49 lead into the break and they never looked back. While Detroit’s offense clicked, its defense suffocated Orlando.
The Magic managed just 113 total points over the final six quarters of the series an astonishingly low average of 18.8 points per period. In Game 7, their struggles continued, including a 15-point third quarter that effectively sealed their fate.
Paolo Banchero did everything he could, scoring 38 points, but he lacked consistent help especially after Franz Wagner went down with an injury earlier in the series. Only one other Orlando player reached double figures through three quarters.
Meanwhile, Detroit’s interior presence finally showed up in a big way. Jalen Duren dominated with 15 points and 15 rebounds, controlling the glass and providing the physical edge the Pistons needed after being outplayed earlier in the series by Wendell Carter Jr..
Any hopes of a Magic comeback were crushed early in the second half. Detroit opened the third quarter on an 11-2 run, stretching the lead to 71-51. Cunningham and Harris combined for nine of those points, continuing their relentless attack.
By the end of the third, a buzzer-beating three from Daniss Jenkins pushed the lead to 83-64, and the fourth quarter became a formality.
This victory wasn’t just about one game it was about resilience.
The Pistons became just the 15th team in NBA history to overcome a 3-1 series deficit, joining a rare group of comeback stories. Even more impressively, they did it after trailing by 24 points in Game 6 before storming back to keep their season alive.
It marked the second consecutive night an NBA team completed such a comeback, following the Philadelphia 76ers doing the same.
Detroit now advances to the Eastern Conference semifinals, where they will face the winner of Game 7 between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Toronto Raptors.
Game 1 is set for Tuesday night at Little Caesars Arena where a rejuvenated basketball city will be ready.
After 18 long years, the Pistons are finally back and suddenly, they look like a team no one wants to face.
