Vlad Bunoan

Cade Cunningham of the Detroit Pistons attempts a shot against Tristan da Silva of the Orlando Magic in Game 5 of the first round of the NBA Eastern Conference playoffs at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. Gregory Shamus, Getty Images via AFP

DETROIT, MICHIGAN - APRIL 29: Cade Cunningham #2 of the Detroit Pistons attempts a shot against Tristan da Silva #23 of the Orlando Magic during the first half in Game Five of the First Round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs at Little Caesars Arena on April 29, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement.   Gregory Shamus/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by Gregory Shamus / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)

Article (news)

Orlando Magic v Detroit Pistons - Game Five

Agence France-Presse

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1777517834913AFP__20260430__2273789283__v1__MidRes__OrlandoMagicVDetroitPistonsGameFive.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Cade Cunningham of the Detroit Pistons attempts a shot against Tristan da Silva of the Orlando Magic in Game 5 of the first round of the NBA Eastern Conference playoffs at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. Gregory Shamus, Getty Images via AFP"/>Cade Cunningham of the Detroit Pistons attempts a shot against Tristan da Silva of the Orlando Magic in Game 5 of the first round of the NBA Eastern Conference playoffs at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. Gregory Shamus, Getty Images via AFP</div>Cade Cunningham kept top-seeded Detroit&#x27;s NBA playoff run alive against the Orlando Magic, as the Los Angeles Lakers again failed to close out their series with Houston on Wednesday.The Cleveland Cavaliers, meanwhile, pulled off an impressive comeback victory to take a 3-2 lead over the Toronto Raptors in the first round of the playoffs.Cunningham scored a Pistons playoff-record 45 points to drag his side to a 116-109 victory on a must-win night, steering Detroit back to a 3-2 deficit in the best-of-seven series.The Pistons star man, having recently returned from a collapsed lung, played nearly 44 minutes as Detroit avoided a stunning first-round ouster at the hands of eighth seed Orlando.&quot;We dug ourselves a big hole, it&#x27;s going to be a tough one to climb out of, but we handled business tonight,&quot; said Cunningham.&quot;We&#x27;re at our best when our backs are against the wall,&quot; he added.Having dominated the Eastern Conference during the regular season, Detroit has faltered badly at the start of the post-season.Needing to win three in a row to escape the first round, the Pistons came out of the blocks fast in front of a home crowd Wednesday.Playing with a high energy bordering on desperation, Detroit owned the glass with 17 rebounds in the first quarter, building a 12-point lead.Cunningham exploded into the game with 20 points in the second quarter alone.But the gap closed to six points by half-time, and Orlando missed two go-ahead three-pointer attempts soon after the break.The Pistons took advantage and powered well clear. Orlando refused to quit, mounting a late charge including a pair of Paolo Banchero three-pointers that narrowed the lead back to three points.But a Cunningham triple with barely 30 seconds remaining sealed the win. Banchero top-scored for Orlando with 45 points.The Magic will have another chance to finish a surprise series win on Friday back in Orlando. A possible decider would take place in Detroit on Sunday.<div> </div><div>LeBron&#x27;s 25 not enough</div>Jabari Smith Jr.&#x27;s 22 points helped the Houston Rockets grind out a gritty 99-93 win to bring their series with the Los Angeles Lakers back to 3-2.The Lakers had led 3-0, but now face a tricky trip to Texas for Game 6.The return of key offensive contributor Austin Reaves after nine games out with an oblique injury had boosted the Lakers, who got off to a bright first quarter on Wednesday.But the Rockets — who were again without star forward Kevin Durant with an ankle issue — shot ahead, building a 13-point advantage midway through the final quarter.A LeBron James driving layup reduced the deficit to single digits with five minutes remaining, pumping up the home crowd.But it was not to be for the Lakers. Another loss in Houston on Friday would put the Lakers at risk of becoming the first team in history to blow a 3-0 lead in a playoff series.Veteran 41-year-old superstar James top-scored on the night with 25 points, continuing his remarkable post-season form, but failed to score any of his three-pointer efforts.&quot;We just couldn&#x27;t make shots,&quot; said Lakers coach JJ Redick.&quot;Missed some layups, certainly had some good looks for three that didn&#x27;t go down. But we&#x27;ll take a look at the whole process.&quot;Cleveland secured a fifth straight win for the home team in their series against Toronto to take a 3-2 lead.Having twice trailed by 12 points, Cleveland powered back in the second half with a much stronger defensive performance to win 125-120.Evan Mobley led the rally with 10 points in the third quarter, while Dennis Schroder added 19 off the bench.The result means all four Eastern Conference first-round playoff series now stand at 3-2.

Cade Cunningham kept top-seeded Detroit's NBA playoff run alive against the Orlando Magic, as the Los Angeles Lakers again failed to close out their series with Houston on Wednesday.

Cade Cunningham kept top-seeded Detroit's NBA playoff run alive against the Orlando Magic, as the Los Angeles Lakers again failed to close out their series with Houston on Wednesday.

Top-seeded Pistons stay alive in NBA playoffs with Magic win, Lakers can't stop Rockets

News

Entertainment

Lifestyle

Sports

Metro.Style

More

Sudoku

Word of the Day

Lotto

Horoscope

Basketball

Top-seeded Pistons stay alive in NBA playoffs with Magic win, Lakers can't stop Rockets

Agence France-Presse

Published April 30, 2026 10:59 AM PHT

|

Updated April 30, 2026 02:23 PM PHT

Read More:

NBA

Detroit Pistons

Orlando Magic

NBA Playoffs

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

AI Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.