Cade Cunningham Makes History in Pistons' Game 6 Win Over Magic
The No. 1 seed Detroit Pistons returned home for Game 6, facing a must-win situation against a hungry Orlando Magic team looking to eliminate them.
In a fierce battle of former No. 1 picks, Detroit’s Cade Cunningham and Orlando’s Paolo Banchero were firing away throughout the evening. Banchero hit 17-of-31 shots, including 6-of-11 three-pointers, to finish with a 45-point performance. Cunningham matched that 45 points, but did so with 13-of-23 field goals, including 5-of-8 threes and a perfect 14-for-14 at the free throw line.
It was an incredible showing from both teams’ superstars, and for Cunningham, it propelled his team to a much-needed 116-109 win at home. That made the series 3-2 in favor of Orlando, who will host Game 6 later this week.
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It was also a historic night for Cunningham, as his 45-point performance was the most scored by any Detroit Pistons player in the playoffs in league history.
The NBA‘s social media shared the big announcement about Cunningham’s franchise record, along with a nearly three-minute highlight video spotlighting his and Banchero’s huge nights.
According to the NBA, it was also the second time in NBA history that two opponents each scored 45 points in a playoff game. Cunningham’s buckets included smooth three-pointers from various spots on the court, mid-range jumpers, and strong drives to the basket for easy hoops.
While Cunningham appeared to get off to a slow start, he soon picked up his pace and had scored 27 points by halftime. In the second half, he and the Pistons had to keep fighting their way to a victory, with Cunningham dropping another 18.
With Wednesday night’s scoring outburst, Cunningham surpassed several Pistons legends with 43-plus points in a postseason game. Isaiah Thomas of the Detroit “Bad Boys” Pistons scored 43 points in Game 6 of the 1988 NBA Finals. And Cunningham moved just ahead of Dave Bing’s previous record of 44 points, which he scored in the 1968 Eastern Division Semifinals Game 6.
Speaking of Game 6, that’s the next task on Cunningham’s schedule. He and this year’s top-seeded Pistons visit Orlando on Friday, May 1, with the time not yet announced for Amazon’s Prime Video presentation.
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This story was originally published April 29, 2026 at 8:09 PM.