Cade Cunningham’s big night
- Cade Cunningham scored 27 points, grabbed six rebounds and dished 11 assists in his playoff performance. (x.com) - That stat line helped the Pistons even their series, tying the matchup 1-1. (x.com) - The game shifted momentum back to Detroit and put more playmaking burden on Cunningham for the next game. (x.com)
Cade Cunningham put Detroit back on even terms Wednesday night, leading the Pistons past Orlando 98-83 in Game 2 of their first-round series. (espn.com) Cunningham finished with 27 points, 11 assists and six rebounds as the top-seeded Pistons tied the series 1-1 after dropping Game 1 at home on April 19. (espn.com) Detroit did it with defense as much as shot-making, blocking 11 shots and holding the eighth-seeded Magic to 83 points. The Pistons also broke an 11-game home playoff losing streak that dated to 2008. (nba.com) (espn.com) The swing came in the third quarter, when Detroit outscored Orlando 38-16 and turned a close game into a double-digit lead. NBA.com called Cunningham a “nightmare matchup” for Orlando in that stretch. (nba.com) That response carried extra weight because Detroit entered the playoffs as the East’s No. 1 seed after a 60-22 regular season, the franchise’s third 60-win season. Orlando had already stolen home court with its Game 1 win. (nba.com 1) (nba.com 2) Cunningham has been at the center of that rise all season. He averaged 23.9 points and 9.9 assists in the regular season and was named an Eastern Conference All-Star starter in January. (espn.com) (nba.com) Game 3 is Saturday, April 25, in Orlando, with the series now reduced to a best-of-five. Detroit’s next task is simpler on paper than on the floor: get the same version of Cunningham on the road. (nba.com)
