Detroit Pistons Stun Orlando in Game 7 to Advance in NBA Playoffs
The Pistons erased a 24-point deficit in Game 6 and forced a Game 7, then pulled away in the second half behind Harris’ 17-point second quarter and 16 Magic turnovers.
Detroit secured its first playoff series victory since 2008 and will face the winner of Cavaliers vs Raptors, while Paolo Banchero’s 38 points weren’t enough for Orlando...
The Detroit Pistons blew out the Orlando Magic 116-94 on Sunday, finishing off a comeback in the series and advancing to the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Cade Cunningham led the way with 32 points and 12 assists, while Tobias Harris added 30 points and 9 rebounds. Detroit was down 3-1 in the best-of-seven matchup but won the next 3 games to take the series 4-3.
Detroit entered the playoffs as the East’s top seed with the 3rd-best record in the NBA, and secured their first postseason series win since 2008.
“It feels good, feels good that we handled our business and did what we set out to do,” Cunningham told ABC after the game.
The Pistons now await the winner of the Cleveland Cavaliers vs Toronto Raptors matchup. Cleveland was hosting game 7 later on Sunday.
Detroit had already staved off elimination by beating Orlando in games 5 and 6. That included erasing a 24-point deficit on Friday to set up the winner-take-all game 7.
This marks the 2nd time the Pistons have come back from 3-1 down against the Magic, repeating what they did in the 2003 first round.
“They really pushed us to the limit,” Cunningham said. “We've grown a lot because of this series, because of that team. So huge credit to them, and we're ready to get to the second round and continue business.”
Paolo Banchero put up 38 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists for Orlando, but got little help from his teammates. The Pistons capitalized on 16 Magic turnovers, turning them into 19 points.
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The Pistons win Game 7, become the 15th team to win a series after trailing 3-1 and advance to the Eastern Conference Semifinals for the first time since 2008!
— NBA (@NBA) May 3, 2026
NBA Playoffs presented by @Google pic.twitter.com/FBpokLs7i7
Banchero struggled in game 6 but opened strong here, scoring Orlando’s first 11 points. The Magic edged a close first quarter by 2 points.
The game stayed tight early in the second quarter before Detroit pulled ahead. Tobias Harris dropped 17 points in the period, helping the Pistons take a 60-49 lead into halftime.
Cunningham’s floater off a Harris pass made it a 20-point game early in the third, and Detroit stayed in control from there.
Orlando trimmed a 25-point deficit to 14 with 4:22 left, but Detroit responded and pulled away again to close it out.
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