NBA Cunningham Blasts 45 Points, a New High, Pistons Defeat Magic at Home in Game 5 to Stay Alive
Detroit Pistons' star Cade Cunningham scored a career-high 45 points, including a step-back jumper with 32 seconds left, leading his team to a 116-109 victory over the Orlando Magic in Game 5 of their first-round series, avoiding elimination. The Magic still lead the series 3-2.
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- 📰 Published: April 30, 2026 at 12:19
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Central News Agency
(Central News Agency, Detroit, 29th, comprehensive foreign reports) Detroit Pistons' star Cade Cunningham tonight scored 45 points, setting a new playoff team record, including a step-back jumper with 32 seconds left, leading the top-seeded Pistons to stay alive in Game 5 of their first-round series, defeating the Eastern Conference's eighth-seeded Orlando Magic 116-109, avoiding a tragic elimination.
According to the Associated Press, the Magic still lead the first-round series 3-2 and will have a second chance to advance when they return home to face the Pistons on the evening of May 1st. The Magic's historical road record in Game 5 has now fallen to 0 wins and 10 losses.
The Pistons maintained the lead throughout this game and at one point led by 15 points at the start of the fourth quarter. The Magic made a strong comeback at the end, with Paolo Banchero hitting his sixth three-pointer with 1 minute and 9 seconds left in the game, narrowing the score to within 3 points. Banchero also scored 45 points, like Cunningham, both setting new career highs in the playoffs, but he only made 5 of 12 free throws today.
The Pistons hope to make a comeback from the brink of elimination, just as they did against the Magic more than 20 years ago.
In 2003, the Pistons, then the Eastern Conference's dominant team, staged a comeback against the eighth-seeded Magic, becoming the first NBA team this century to overturn a 1-3 deficit. The NBA has seen 7 such records. The Denver Nuggets were the most recent team to achieve this feat, becoming the first team in NBA history in 2020 to complete two comebacks in a single playoff.
Magic forward Franz Wagner was absent due to a right calf strain. He contributed 19 points in more than two quarters of play on the evening of the 27th, leaving the game at the end of the third quarter. He averaged nearly 17 points and 5.5 rebounds in the first four games of the series.
Cunningham shot 13 of 23 from the field in this game, also hitting 5 three-pointers, setting a new career high in the playoffs, and made all 14 of his free throws, becoming the key to standing out in the matchup against fellow top draft pick Banchero.
Tobias Harris contributed 23 points for the Pistons, and All-Star center Jalen Duren, shaking off a slump, added 12 points and 9 rebounds. Duncan Robinson also scored 12 points.
For the Magic, Anthony Black scored a playoff career-high 19 points, Desmond Bane had 18 points, and Jalen Suggs contributed 10 points. (Editor: Chang Hsiao-wen) 1150430
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(Central News Agency, Detroit, 29th, comprehensive foreign reports) Detroit Pistons' star Cade Cunningham tonight scored 45 points, setting a new playoff team record, including a step-back jumper with 32 seconds left, leading the top-seeded Pistons to stay alive in Game 5 of their first-round series, defeating the Eastern Conference's eighth-seeded Orlando Magic 116-109, avoiding a tragic elimination.
According to the Associated Press, the Magic still lead the first-round series 3-2 and will have a second chance to advance when they return home to face the Pistons on the evening of May 1st. The Magic's historical road record in Game 5 has now fallen to 0 wins and 10 losses.
The Pistons maintained the lead throughout this game and at one point led by 15 points at the start of the fourth quarter. The Magic made a strong comeback at the end, with Paolo Banchero hitting his sixth three-pointer with 1 minute and 9 seconds left in the game, narrowing the score to within 3 points. Banchero also scored 45 points, like Cunningham, both setting new career highs in the playoffs, but he only made 5 of 12 free throws today.
The Pistons hope to make a comeback from the brink of elimination, just as they did against the Magic more than 20 years ago.
In 2003, the Pistons, then the Eastern Conference's dominant team, staged a comeback against the eighth-seeded Magic, becoming the first NBA team this century to overturn a 1-3 deficit. The NBA has seen 7 such records. The Denver Nuggets were the most recent team to achieve this feat, becoming the first team in NBA history in 2020 to complete two comebacks in a single playoff.
Magic forward Franz Wagner was absent due to a right calf strain. He contributed 19 points in more than two quarters of play on the evening of the 27th, leaving the game at the end of the third quarter. He averaged nearly 17 points and 5.5 rebounds in the first four games of the series.
Cunningham shot 13 of 23 from the field in this game, also hitting 5 three-pointers, setting a new career high in the playoffs, and made all 14 of his free throws, becoming the key to standing out in the matchup against fellow top draft pick Banchero.
Tobias Harris contributed 23 points for the Pistons, and All-Star center Jalen Duren, shaking off a slump, added 12 points and 9 rebounds. Duncan Robinson also scored 12 points.
For the Magic, Anthony Black scored a playoff career-high 19 points, Desmond Bane had 18 points, and Jalen Suggs contributed 10 points. (Editor: Chang Hsiao-wen) 1150430
Choose to stand with facts, every sponsorship you make is a force to protect press freedom.
Download the Central News Agency's "First-hand News" APP to stay updated with the latest news.
The text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and used without authorization.