The season was on the line for Cade Cunningham and the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday.
The No. 1 seed Pistons are on the brink of a major letdown in the first round of the NBA playoffs as they faced a 3-1 deficit against the Orlando Magic heading into Game 5 on Wednesday.
Cunningham refused to bow out. The two-time All-Star led the way for Detroit, going off for 45 points on 13-of-23 shooting. Cunningham also added four rebounds, five assists, a steal and five three-pointers in 44 minutes of action.
The Pistons survived Game 5, securing a 116-109 home win at Little Caesars Arena.
© Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Cunningham knew exactly what was at stake on Wednesday night. The 24-year-old spoke to reporters after the game to share the type of mindset he had in their season-saving win.
“Never die mentality,” he said. “I just want to have a controlled aggression all night. And yeah, make sure they feel me.
“I don't want this season to end right now, so I got to put it all on the line.”
Wednesday’s matchup turned out to be an instant playoff classic. Cunningham went toe-to-toe with Magic star Paolo Banchero, exchanging blows all night.
Banchero finished with 45 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, two steals and six triples. It still wasn’t enough for Orlando, though.
These two teams will go at it again on Thursday for Game 6. Cunningham and Co. have momentum on their side as the series shifts to Orlando. However, the Pistons are still down 3-2, and they will need to secure another season-saving win on Wednesday to force a winner-take-all Game 7.
