DETROIT — Cade Cunningham stepped up for the Pistons in their time of need.

With Detroit facing elimination, Cunningham engaged in an impressive scoring battle with Orlando’s Paolo Banchero, ultimately leading the Pistons to a crucial 116-109 victory in Game 5 of their first-round series. This win allowed the top-seeded Pistons to stay alive for at least a few more days.

“We’ve put ourselves in a tough spot, and now it’s time to dig out,” Cunningham remarked. “I believe it’s possible.”

The Magic currently lead the series 3-2 and will have the opportunity to reclaim control at home on Friday. If the Pistons manage to win their first road game in the series, a decisive Game 7 will take place on Sunday.

Banchero also notched his playoff career-high with 45 points, but his struggle at the free-throw line—missing seven of 12 attempts—kept him from tying the franchise playoff record held by Tracy McGrady and Dwight Howard.

Orlando was significantly outrebounded by 16 and converted only 16 of 30 free throws.

“We need to improve our rebounding and definitely our free-throw shooting,” said Banchero, who was the No. 1 overall pick in 2022. “If we hit our free throws, we have a real chance. We lost by seven points and missed 14 free throws. It really could have changed the outcome.”

Cunningham’s 45-point performance set a new franchise playoff record, surpassing the previous mark set by Dave Bing in 1968. Isiah Thomas narrowly missed that record with a 43-point game back in 1988.

Interestingly, there has only been one other NBA playoff game where two players scored over 45 points.

Back in 2020, Donovan Mitchell of Utah scored 51 points while Jamal Murray from Denver recorded 50 points in the same matchup.

When Cunningham was chosen first overall by Detroit in 2021, expectations were high for moments like this.

In his standout performance, he shot 13-of-23 from the field, made five three-pointers—another playoff career high—and went a perfect 14-of-14 from the free-throw line.

“This is just the beginning,” Pistons coach JB Bickerstaff said. “He’s going to accomplish really special things.”

Cunningham, now 24, faced challenges holding onto the ball in crucial situations earlier in the series and last year against the Knicks. However, he proved clutch against the Magic, maintaining a lead throughout the game.

The Pistons never trailed, establishing a 17-point advantage in the first half and a 15-point lead early in the fourth quarter.

With just over a minute remaining, the Magic closed the gap to three points thanks to Banchero’s sixth three-pointer.

On the ensuing possession, Cunningham stepped back and nailed a 16-foot jumper, even as Orser Thompson raced for an offensive rebound.

“Not everyone gets the chance to feel pressure or face adversity,” Cunningham noted. “I’m thankful for it and aim to seize the moment.”

“We’ve had a fantastic season, and nobody wants it to come to an end.”

The Pistons are drawing on the memory of a similar scenario from over two decades ago when they overcame elimination against the Magic.

Detroit’s comeback in 2003 marked the first of several instances where an NBA team managed to rebound from a 3-1 deficit.

Recently, the Nuggets achieved this remarkable feat just six years ago against the same opponent and became the first team to do so twice in a single postseason.

“You hope you never find yourself in such a situation, but honestly, it’s what we expected,” Bickerstaff stated. “When faced with adversity, we come out fighting, no doubt about it.”