The Detroit Pistons have advanced to the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 2008
Just a week ago, the Detroit Pistons were the talk of the basketball world after going down 3-1 to the Orlando Magic in the first round. Hoops critics called the Pistons a fraudulent No. 1 seed and professed immense disappointment in Cade Cunningham’s turnover struggles.
But during the Pistons’ most pivotal moments of the season, in one elimination game after another, Cunningham propelled Detroit to rip off three consecutive victories over the Magic to advance to the second round of the NBA Playoffs, a place the franchise has not been since 2008.
During today’s elimination game, Cunningham rose to the occasion early on and helped Detroit post a whopping 40-point effort in the second quarter against Orlando. That early push gave the Pistons the momentum they needed to keep their double-digit lead for the rest of the game and officially book their ticket to the next round of the postseason.
“It’s expected,” Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said of his team’s performance. “That’s the amount of belief that we have in this group. This is a special group, and you can’t count us out. No matter the circumstances, no matter the situation, I like our chances to fight our way back. I think we did a hell of a job at that this series.”
In today’s win-or-go-home format, Cunningham posted 32 points, 12 assists, two blocks and one rebound in a controlled, composed performance that mirrored the All-Star’s command of the game all season long. Cunningham set his teammates up for open looks and manipulated the Orlando defense just enough to help get his teammates going, and there’s one vet in particular who took advantage of that playmaking talent– Tobias Harris.
“He is dependable, reliable, prepared for the moment,” Bickerstaff said. “He’s a leader. He’s a great teammate. He’s a great human being. He’s a high-level competitor. To show up tonight and do what he did when it was on the line the most, it’s exceptional. I can come up with more adjectives if you want, but I think you get my drift.”
As he’s done all series long, Harris was a trusty scoring option for Detroit on Sunday afternoon, but the 15-year pro took his game to another level with the Pistons’ season on the line. Harris put up 30 points, nine rebounds and two assists in the high-pressure postseason environment in front of a raucous Little Caesars Arena crowd, and he was a big part of the team’s prolific second quarter outburst. Harris scored 11 straight points during that stretch, and the power forward continued to operate as an offensive safety valve for a Detroit team that desperately wanted to advance further in the playoffs.
Outside of the Pistons’ top two scoring threats today, All-Star center Jalen Duren finally had a bounce-back game that he’d been seeking for several games now. Duren cashed in on multiple lobs from Cunningham throughout the 22-point victory en route to a 15-point, 15-rebound performance that will instill JD with some confidence at a crucial time in the postseason.
Coming off the bench, Daniss Jenkins had his most impactful game of the series with 16 points, five assists and three rebounds against the Magic, and Bickerstaff was empty the rest of his bench considering how large Detroit’s lead was before the clock expired.
Moving forward, the Pistons will face the winner of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Toronto Raptors, who are squaring off in a game seven of their own right now.
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