FOR the first time in nearly two decades, the roar of a playoff series victory echoed through the Motor City.
Cade Cunningham chalked up 32 points and 12 assists, while Tobias Harris added 30 markers as the Detroit Pistons routed the Orlando Magic, 116-94, in Game 7 on Monday, May 4, 2026 (PH time), to clinch their first playoff series win in 18 years, according to the Associated Press (AP).
Cunningham averaged 32.4 points in the series for Detroit, whose last playoff triumph came against Orlando in the second round of the 2008 playoffs.
The Pistons now advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals and will host the Cleveland Cavaliers, who defeated the Toronto Raptors, 114-102, in their own series. Game 1 is set for Wednesday at Little Caesars Arena.
“We were pushed to the limit,” Cunningham told the AP after the game. “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.”
Detroit became the 15th team in NBA history to erase a 3-1 series deficit and the second in as many nights after Philadelphia’s comeback against Boston.
Cunningham and Harris also made history, becoming the first Pistons duo to each score 30 or more in a playoff game since Bob Lanier (33) and Howard Porter (30) did it in 1977.
Paolo Banchero led the Magic with 38 points, but lacked consistent support. With Franz Wagner sidelined since Game 4, Orlando struggled to find a reliable second scorer. Desmond Bane was the only other Magic player to reach double figures in the first three quarters with 10 points.
Detroit also got a strong performance from All-Star center Jalen Duren, who posted his first double-double of the series with 15 points and 15 rebounds after being outplayed by Wendell Carter Jr. in the previous six games.
Harris erupted for 17 points in the second quarter, and Detroit closed the half on a 9-2 run to lead 60-49. The Pistons kept rolling after halftime, opening the third quarter with an 11-2 burst — nine of those points from Cunningham and Harris — to go up 71-51.
Orlando managed just 15 points in the third quarter, the third time in five periods they failed to reach 20. Daniss Jenkins beat the third-quarter buzzer with a three-pointer to make it 83-64, and the Magic never threatened in the final frame.
Cavs also move on
In the other Game 7, Jarrett Allen tied his playoff career high with 22 points and grabbed 19 rebounds. Donovan Mitchell led Cleveland with 22 points, and James Harden added 18 in a series where the home team won all seven games.
The fourth-seeded Cavaliers will visit top-seeded Detroit on Wednesday for Game 1 of the second round. The Central Division rivals split their four regular-season meetings, according to AP.
Scottie Barnes finished with 24 points and nine rebounds for Toronto, while RJ Barrett scored 23 as the Raptors returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2022.
Allen had 14 points and 10 rebounds — five on the offensive glass — during a decisive 49-21 run spanning the second and third quarters that turned a nine-point deficit into a 19-point lead. / LBG
