Pistons Survive Harrowing Magic Comeback to Stave Off Elimination
For at least one more game, the top-seeded Detroit Pistons held off elimination at the hands of the upstart Orlando Magic. Detroit held a three-point lead after a Paolo Banchero three-pointer with just over a minute to go, and fans in the arena began to get tense in anticipation of a collapse and early playoff exit. The Pistons, however, locked in and held the Magic off the rest of the way.
Pistons survive Paolo Banchero's career night
Paolo Banchero has been the subject of a ton of criticism this season, with some speculating that Orlando must eventually trade the forward. He struggles to shoot from anywhere that's not close to the basket, or at least he did. In this series, he's stepped up, and he very nearly willed Orlando to the second round.
His three cut the deficit to three points, and it came as part of a 45-point outing. The forward's career high (regular season) is 50, but that mark is now his playoff high. The only reason it didn't lead to the Pistons heading home for the offseason is that Cade Cunningham matched Banchero stride for stride, dropping 45 of his own.
Banchero had 45 on 17/31 shooting. He added nine rebounds, seven assists (six turnovers), and two blocks. Cunningham, on the other hand, had 45 on 13/23 shooting. He added four rebounds, five assists (six turnovers), and a steal.
Each player eclipsed 40 minutes in a true slugfest. After Banchero's clutch shot, Cunningham matched with a midrange jumper that pushed the lead back to two possessions. From there, the Pistons wouldn't look back, claiming a 116-109 win to force a Game 6 in Orlando.
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History for Cade Cunningham, Paolo Banchero
Cade Cunningham and Paolo Banchero each scored 45 points in a playoff game. The only other pair to ever score 45 or more in the same game against one another were Donovan Mitchell and Jamal Murray in the first round in 2020 (in the bubble, for what it's worth). Mitchell had 51 and Murray had 50.
"That's what's up," Cunningham said about this neat factoid. "I'm sure it was a great game. Hope the fans enjoy it, but it was a great win for us. Not everybody is blessed with those types of opportunities to have pressure and things on the line like that. A lot of times I feel undeserving of how great of moments I get to be a part of. Just try to make the most of it."
Banchero noted he wasn't thinking about a historic duel even as he and Cunningham lit the scoreboard up. "In the heat of the moment, you're not really thinking about it," the forward said. "You're just thinking about getting the win. But sure, one day [I'll] look back and be like, 'That was a hell of a game.' But me and him have been going at it since AAU days. So no surprise there that happened."
The Magic were without forward Franz Wagner, who was injured. Had he played, this might've been a different story, especially with Banchero shooting so well. Instead, the Magic will have to hope he's healthy and that they can rebound at home in Game 6. Otherwise, a winner-take-all Game 7 on the road against the top seed is not an ideal situation to be in.
