Cunningham and Banchero put on a 90-point show: “What a crazy game”
The Pistons win Game 5 over the Magic, 116-109, behind Cade Cunningham’s 45 points in a star-studded duel with Paolo Banchero. The series is still alive
At Little Caesars Arena, it was a true playoff game – one of those nights that sticks with you. The Detroit Pistons defeated the Orlando Magic 116-109 in Game 5 and kept the series alive thanks to a wild showdown: Cade Cunningham and Paolo Banchero each finished with 45 points.
A duel that enters NBA history
This was no ordinary game. Cunningham and Banchero became just the second pair in NBA playoff history to score 45+ points each in the same game. Before them, only Donovan Mitchell (51) and Jamal Murray (50) in the 2020 bubble had done it.
Cunningham reacted to the milestone after the game:
That’s cool. I’m sure it was a great game. I hope the fans enjoyed it, but for us it was a huge win
Cade Cunningham
He added:
Not everyone gets the chance to experience moments with this kind of pressure. Sometimes I almost feel like I don’t deserve opportunities this big. I just try to make the most of them
Cade Cunningham
Cunningham closes it out late
The game heated up in the final minutes when Banchero knocked down a three-pointer to bring Orlando within three with just over a minute left. Detroit wobbled – but then turned to its leader.
Cunningham delivered the defining play: drive, pull-up, and a 16-foot fadeaway with 32 seconds remaining. Bucket. Game over.
Records after records for the Pistons star
With those 45 points, Cunningham made franchise history, passing Dave Bing’s 44-point mark from 1968 for the most points ever scored in a Detroit Pistons playoff game.
And this time, the difference was obvious – especially because the Pistons needed every bit of his offensive firepower to survive Orlando’s comeback push.
Banchero does everything he can (without Wagner)
Orlando arrived in Detroit without Franz Wagner, sidelined with a calf injury. So Banchero took the full burden on his shoulders.
His performance was massive: 17-for-31 from the field and 6 made threes, though he’ll also regret some misses at the line, where he went 5-for-12. Orlando as a team missed 14 free throws, a detail that loomed large late.
In the fourth quarter alone, Banchero scored 18 points, nearly willing the Magic back by himself.
On his duel with Cunningham, he said:
You don’t think about it in the moment. You’re just thinking about winning. But one day I’ll look back and say, ‘What a crazy game.’ Cade and I have been going at each other since the AAU days, so it’s not a surprise
Paolo Banchero
Detroit looks different: more energy, more hunger
Compared with previous games, the Pistons looked like a completely different team – more aggressive, more engaged, more playoff-ready.
Coach J.B. Bickerstaff explained it this way:
We step on the floor ready to hit, fight, scratch, bite… whatever it takes to win. That spirit spreads to everybody. And there’s a desire not to let your teammates down
J.B. Bickerstaff
Bickerstaff: “Until it’s over, we’re alive”
When asked if the team had rediscovered its energy, the coach didn’t hesitate:
Man, we’ve always been alive. Until the fat lady sings, we’re alive
J.B. Bickerstaff
Detroit is still standing – alive and fighting with everything it has. The series shifts back to Orlando, and now there’s no room left for calculations: respond or go home.