Detroit — The Pistons finally did something they haven’t done since 2008: Win a playoff series.
In Game 7 at Little Caesars Arena, they defeated the Orlando Magic, 116-94, on Sunday to end the drought.
It took winning three straight games after falling behind 3-1 in the series to the eight-seeded Magic — highlighted by a 24-point comeback in Game 6 at Orlando — but the Pistons find themselves in the second round of the NBA playoffs for the first time in almost two decades.
“It’s great. We had a great regular season. We built a lot of momentum going into the playoffs and to lose in the first round would’ve really stung. I think it would’ve stung the city,” Cade Cunningham said.
If anyone knows the struggle that the franchise has gone through, it’s Cunningham. Being drafted in 2021 and going through multiple seasons with 60-plus losses, including a 28-game losing streak during the 2023-2024 season, Cunningham took all the punches of falling flat in the NBA.
But ever since J.B. Bickerstaff became head coach, things changed. Bickerstaff and Cunningham immediately worked to turn the Pistons around, as the team went from 14 wins in 2023-24 to 44 wins in 2024-25 to 60 wins this season.
In the first round against Orlando, Cunningham averaged 32.4 points and 6.3 assists, including finishing with 32 points and 12 assists in Game 7. He also joined an exclusive list of players to tally 225-plus points and 50-plus assists in a playoff series, one that includes Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Dončić, LeBron James, Jerry West and Oscar Robertson.
“It means a lot. I’m excited for the fans, I’m excited to be a part of this group. I feel like we have a special group of guys who work hard, believe in each other, love each other,” Ausar Thompson said. “This means a lot, not just us, but for the fans, for Detroit. I’m excited to be a part of it.”
The series didn’t start off on the right note for the fans. A Game 1 loss extended an NBA-record 11 straight home playoff losing streak for the Pistons, but that streak was broken in a Game 2 victory. The Pistons suffered road losses in Game 3 and Game 4 to be pushed to the brink of elimination, but they won three straight, with two of those coming at home.
Every Game 7 has a player that exceeds expectations to give his team a spark. For the Pistons, it was Daniss Jenkins, who came into the season as a two-way player but flourished throughout. He shined in Cunningham’s absence, but he had trouble finding his shot through the first six games of this series.
That all changed Sunday. Jenkins played 29 minutes off the bench and shined with 16 points, going 4-for-5 from 3-point range. He also had a Game 7 moment, beating the third-quarter buzzer with a 3 to give the Pistons a 19-point lead and sending Little Caesars Arena into a frenzy.
“I’ve been doing special things all year, this group has been doing special things all year, and we did special things last year. So we all special, and we just legendary, and we wanted to keep going. We don’t want it to stop,” Jenkins said.
“It’s been fun, just to be a part of it. It means everything for us to keep being legendary. We get a chance to write our name in history and Detroit history forever, so we’re trying to keep it going, whatever it takes.”
The Pistons await their second-round opponent, which would either be the Toronto Raptors or the Cleveland Cavaliers. But either way, Game 1 will be in Detroit, where fans hope this special season continues.
“The city has gotten more more excited about this team, and we feel the love and all that, so we want to perform. To figure it out and to come back from 3-1, odds against us, and to come back and win it at home, it feels good,” Cunningham said. “It feels really good, and we’re excited for what’s to come. We’ll continue to represent this city in the right light, but also win games, win series, and the ultimate goal is a championship.”
Kameron Goodwill is a freelance writer.
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Pistons finish comeback for first playoff series win in 18 years: ‘It means a lot’
Reporting by Kameron Goodwill, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
