Cunningham and Harris help Pistons
finish comeback for first playoff series win in 18 years
[May 04, 2026]
By DAVE HOGG
DETROIT (AP) — Cade Cunningham had 32 points and 12 assists, Tobias
Harris added 30 points and the Detroit Pistons beat the Orlando
Magic 116-94 in Game 7 on Sunday to win a playoff series for the
first time in 18 years.
Cunningham averaged 32.4 points for Detroit, which last won a
postseason series by beating Orlando in the second round in 2008.
The Pistons advance to play the winner of Sunday night's Game 7
between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Toronto Raptors. Game 1 will
be Tuesday at Little Caesars Arena.
“We were pushed to the limit," Cunningham said. "And it made us
really reflect on how we were playing, what got us to this position
and what made us win as many games as we won in the regular season.
And it got us back to playing the basketball that we knew we were
capable of.”
The Pistons became the 15th team in NBA history to overcome a 3-1
deficit and the second in the last two nights, after the
Philadelphia 76ers came back to eliminate Boston.
“I mean, it's expected,” Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said of his
team's resiliency. “And that's the amount of belief that we have in
this group. This is a special group. And you can't count us out. No
matter the circumstances, no matter the situation, I like our
chances to fight our way back.”
They trailed by 24 points in Game 6 in Orlando before rallying to
take the series at home. Orlando only scored 113 points in the final
six quarters of the series — an average of 18.8 per period.
Cunningham and Harris became the first Pistons teammates to score 30
points in a playoff game since Bob Lanier (33) and Howard Porter
(30) against the Golden State Warriors on April 17, 1977.
“We really bonded this season," Cunningham said. "This group is
super tight. We think we can do anything. We've had our backs
against the wall at times in the regular season, but we stuck
together and we found our way out of it.”
Paolo Banchero scored 38 for the Magic.
Each team needed a second scoring option in Game 7. Cunningham had
carried the Pistons while Banchero was Orlando's only weapon after
Franz Wagner was injured in Game 4.
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Detroit Pistons forward Paul Reed (7) goes to the basket against
Orlando Magic forward Moritz Wagner, left, during the first half in
Game 7 of a first-round NBA basketball playoffs series Sunday, May
3, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)
Harris filled that role for Detroit, but Orlando
only had one other player reach double figures in the first three
quarters, as Desmond Bane had 10.
“We just couldn’t find the basket,” coach Jamahl Mosley said. “We
were playing well on defense, but we couldn’t put the ball in the
hole.”
The Pistons also got a big game from All-Star center Jalen Duren. He
was outplayed by Wendell Carter Jr. in the first six games, but put
up his first double-double of the series with 15 points and 15
rebounds.
Harris scored 17 points in the second quarter as the Pistons
finished the half on a 9-2 run to take a 60-49 lead.
The Pistons' surge continued into the second half, as they opened
the third quarter with a 11-2 run to go up 71-51. Nine of the points
came from Cunningham and Harris.
The Magic finished the third quarter with 15 points — the third time
in their last five periods they couldn't reach 20 points.
Daniss Jenkins hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to give Detroit a
83-64 lead going into the fourth, and the Magic never threatened
down the stretch.
“They fought and battled the whole way," Mosley said. "We just
didn’t get the job done.”
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