DETROIT — Cade Cunningham had 32 factors and 12 assists, Tobias Harris added 30 factors and the Detroit Pistons beat the Orlando Magic 116-94 in Sport 7 on Sunday to win a playoff sequence for the primary time in 18 years.
Cunningham averaged 32.4 factors for Detroit, which final received a post-season sequence by beating Orlando within the second spherical in 2008. The Pistons advance to play the winner of Sunday night’s Sport 7 between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Toronto Raptors. Sport 1 might be Tuesday at Little Caesars Area.
The Pistons grew to become the fifteenth group in NBA historical past to beat a 3-1 deficit and the second within the final two nights, after the Philadelphia 76ers got here again to remove Boston.
They trailed by 24 factors in Sport 6 in Orlando earlier than rallying to take the sequence at dwelling. Orlando solely scored 113 factors within the last six quarters of the sequence — a mean of 18.8 per interval.
Cunningham and Harris grew to become the primary Pistons teammates to attain 30 factors in a playoff sport since Bob Lanier (33) and Howard Porter (30) towards the Golden State Warriors on April 17, 1977.
Paolo Banchero scored 38 for the Magic.
Every group wanted a second scoring possibility in Sport 7. Cunningham had carried the Pistons whereas Banchero was Orlando’s solely weapon after Franz Wagner was injured in Sport 4.
Harris stuffed that position for Detroit, however Orlando solely had one different participant attain double figures within the first three quarters, as Desmond Bane had 10.
The Pistons additionally obtained an enormous sport from All-Star heart Jalen Duren. He was outplayed by Wendell Carter Jr. within the first six video games, however put up his first double-double of the sequence with 15 factors and 15 rebounds.
Harris scored 17 factors within the second quarter because the Pistons completed the half on a 9-2 run to take a 60-49 lead.
The Pistons’ surge continued into the second half, as they opened the third quarter with a 11-2 run to go up 71-51. 9 of the factors got here from Cunningham and Harris.
The Magic completed the third quarter with 15 factors — the third time of their final 5 durations they could not attain 20 factors.
Daniss Jenkins hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to provide Detroit a 83-64 lead going into the fourth, and the Magic by no means threatened down the stretch.