Detroit Pistons see season end with 31-point loss in Game 7
DETROIT — With the Pistons trailing by 34 factors with 5:51 remaining, Cade Cunningham‘s evening ended early as he was referred to as to the bench between free throws whereas followers had been exiting Little Caesars Arena.
The All-Star guard hugged coach JB Bickerstaff and every of his teammates who had been standing on the sideline earlier than taking a seat after logging a playoff career-low 13 factors.
The top-seeded Pistons had been eradicated in Game 7 at house towards the Cleveland Cavaliers 125-94 in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Detroit’s 31-point loss marked the third-largest defeat by a 60-win workforce in NBA postseason historical past, in accordance with ESPN Research, however Bickerstaff refused to label the 2025-26 season as a letdown.
“It’s not a disappointment at all. And not ever will I be disappointed in these guys,” Bickerstaff mentioned. “These guys, every single day gave us what they got. So, it is not a disappointment. It’s a loss and it’s a tough loss, but that adjective will never be used with this group.”
Cunningham shot 5-for-16 from the sector and went 0-for-7 from 3-point vary with 5 assists and three turnovers. The Pistons trailed by 17 factors at halftime, which was the second-largest halftime deficit by a 1-seed in a Game 7 since seeding started in 1983-84, in accordance with ESPN Research.
“That game sucked,” Cunningham mentioned. “Being back home, definitely wanted to get this win for the fans. It reminded me of last year, losing on the home court.
“It’s not an ideal feeling. I hadn’t been fascinated about the offseason so my thoughts’s been racing now, attempting to determine what I’ve obtained to do and what it’ll appear to be. That’s actually it.”
Since 2017, home teams are 14-15 (.483) in Game 7s (excluding the 2020 bubble). But before this span, home teams were 101-25 (.802) in Game 7s.
The Pistons also had won four straight games when facing elimination this postseason, including a seven-game series victory over the Orlando Magic in Round 1. But they couldn’t overcome a slow start against Cleveland in which they trailed 31-22 at the end of the first quarter and continued to play from behind.
The Pistons finished with 34 points in the paint, tying their fewest in any game this season.
“Obviously, disappointing sequence proper right here. Fell in need of doing sufficient of the proper issues to win the sequence,” Cunningham said. “But, we had been the No. 1 seed for a purpose. We received a number of video games this yr. We performed nice basketball all yr lengthy and actually established an identification and stuff that we did not have for a very long time.
“So, all those things are positive and things that we’ll take into the offseason and come back next year and grow from.”
Piston guard (*7*) fought on offense with solely 5 factors, however he’s actually appreciative of this season’s playoff run. Afterward, Thompson nonetheless could not disguise the truth that Sunday’s blowout loss to Cleveland, particularly in a must-win scenario at house, was a tricky blow that may hopefully inspire the Pistons subsequent season.
He desires to recollect how this second felt as a result of he would not wish to really feel the ache once more going ahead.
“No, I’m not forgetting. I’m not forgetting. I mean, that series, that felt personal,” he mentioned. “So, I’m not forgetting it. I remember.”
