Pistons’ Cade Cunningham drops 45 points as Detroit staves off elimination vs. Magic, forcing Game 6

DETROIT – The No. 1 seed Detroit Pistons staved off elimination with a 116-109 win over the No. 8 seed Orlando Magic, forcing a Game 6 inside the Kia Center.

It was the Cade Cunningham show on Wednesday (April 29) inside Little Caesars Arena, as he finished with a franchise record 45 points, five assists, four rebounds, one steal, and five turnovers, including a dagger jumper with 31.3 to play in the fourth quarter in the victory.

Cunningham was 13 for 23 from the field and 14-14 from the charity stripe in the pivotal Game 5 victory.

It was Cunningham’s fifth-straight game with 25 or more points, passing Naismith Basketball Hall of Famers Isiah Thomas (1987-88) and Bob Lanier (1976-77) for the longest streak in Pistons playoff history.

Cunningham set the tone in the first half, as he had 27 points to help Detroit take a 68-60 lead, but he was matched by Magic star Paulo Banchero, who finished the game with 45 points in the matchup, 18 coming in the fourth quarter.

The duel between Banchero and Cunningham was the second game in which two No. 1 overall picks each had over 40 points against one another, since former Pistons star Allen Iverson and Shaquille O’Neal in the 2001 NBA Finals.

Banchero finished with 45 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists.

The Pistons had a key contribution in the matchup from Ausar Thompson, who was all over the floor in the victory.

Thompson had six points with 13 rebounds, six assists, four steals, and two blocks.

Detroit came out aggressively in the first quarter, building a 38-26 lead while putting early pressure on Orlando’s defense and jumping ahead 9-2 to start the game.

The Pistons set the tone early by going to Jalen Duren on the opening possession, where he converted an and-one against Wendell Carter Jr.

Duren finished the first quarter with seven points and ended the game with 12 in the victory.

Cunningham had two turnovers in the first four minutes but still scored nine points in the opening period, later drilling a 3-pointer in the second quarter as Detroit pushed its lead to 43-29.

The Pistons extended the margin to 48-31 before Orlando responded behind Banchero, who scored 20 of the team’s 41 first-half points.

Detroit led 50-41 with 5:37 remaining in the second quarter after having been up by as many as 17.

Cunningham paced Detroit early with 22 points, helping the Pistons take a 60-50 lead with 2:49 left in the first half.

After starting the game 4-of-10 shooting from the free-throw line, Detroit hit 14 straight foul shots during a key stretch, with Cunningham extending his total to 27 points after a 3-pointer and two free throws.

The Pistons’ free-throw streak ended when Isaiah Stewart split a pair with 1:21 left, giving Detroit a 66-53 advantage.

Orlando trimmed the deficit late in the half.

Stewart was called for goaltending on a Jalen Suggs drive, then committed a foul on Carter Jr. on a defensive rebound—his second foul of the game, as Carter made both free throws to cut it to 66-57 with 1:08 remaining.

Anthony Black hit a 3-pointer to pull Orlando within 66-60, but Jamal Cain missed two free throws in the closing seconds, leaving Detroit ahead by six at halftime before both teams went on a master class, offensively in the once-defensive series in the second half.

The series now shifts back to Orlando for Game 6.