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Cunningham Scores 45, Sets Pistons Playoff Record; Magic Lead 3-2

4/30/2026

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Summary

Cunningham Sets Playoff Record

Cade Cunningham set a Detroit Pistons playoff record by scoring 45 points in a 116-109 victory over the Orlando Magic.
Cunningham was flawless from the free-throw line, converting all 14 attempts while the team shot 28-for-35 overall.
Orlando’s Paolo Banchero also tallied 45 points but made only 5 of 12 free throws.
Despite the win, the Magic retain a 3-2 series lead and will host Game 6 on Friday.

Summary

Magic Upset Chance

BetMGM lists Pistons -165, Magic +135, a 3.5-point Pistons spread and a 210.5-point over/under for Game 6.
Game 6 tickets start at $106, lower-level seats at $216, and the game streams on Amazon Prime Video.
Franz Wagner, Jonathan Isaac and Kevin Huerter are listed as questionable or doubtful because of calf, knee and adductor injuries.
A Magic win would be the seventh 8-seed upset of a 1-seed in NBA history.

History

Historical Context

In 1994 the Denver Nuggets became the first 8-seed to topple a #1 seed, beating the Seattle SuperSonics 98-94 in Game 5 of a five-game series. That historic upset showed lower seeds could win, a pattern echoed today as the Detroit Pistons, an 8-seed, face the Orlando Magic for a repeat of the 1994 shock.

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Cunningham Sets Playoff Record

Cade Cunningham set a Detroit Pistons playoff record by scoring 45 points in a 116-109 victory over the Orlando Magic.
Cunningham was flawless from the free-throw line, converting all 14 attempts while the team shot 28-for-35 overall.
Orlando’s Paolo Banchero also tallied 45 points but made only 5 of 12 free throws.
Despite the win, the Magic retain a 3-2 series lead and will host Game 6 on Friday.

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