Detroit Pistons outplayed by Magic in Game 1 loss; Cade Cunningham scores 39
Despite 39 points from Cade Cunningham, the Detroit Pistons opened their first-round series against the Magic with an embarrassing loss.
Detroit — The Detroit Pistons trailed the Orlando Magic 96-90 with 6:50 remaining in the fourth quarter when Cade Cunningham was fouled by Desmond Bane during a lay-up attempt. Cunningham went to the free-throw line and successfully made both shots, narrowing the Pistons' deficit to four points (96-92) as fans inside Little Caesars Arena chanted "MVP. " Initially, it appeared that the Pistons were ready to make a late-game rally.
However, on Orlando's next possession, Tristan Da Silva made a 3-point shot, which silenced the crowd. The series of events illustrated how the Pistons suffered a 112-101 Game 1 loss to the Magic on Sunday. BOX SCORE: Magic 112, Pistons 101, Game 1 Cunningham and Tobias Harris were the only two players who provided consistent offense for the Pistons.
Cunningham led the way with 39 points on 12-of-26 shooting, to go along with five rebounds and four assists. Harris added 17 points on 5-of-14 shooting. They were the only two players who scored in double figures.
The Pistons seemed disconnected throughout the night. Communication on the offensive end was lacking, and they allowed several wide-open shots on the defensive end. Detroit was two steps behind Orlando for the entire night, which could have been due to the contrasting situations of the two teams.