05/03/26 05:24:00
Printable Page
05/03 17:22 CDT Cunningham and Harris help Pistons finish comeback for first
playoff series win in 18 years
Cunningham and Harris help Pistons finish comeback for first playoff series win
in 18 years
By DAVE HOGG
Associated Press
DETROIT (AP) --- Cade Cunningham had 32 points and 12 assists, Tobias Harris
added 30 points and the Detroit Pistons beat the Orlando Magic 116-94 in Game 7
on Sunday to win a playoff series for the first time in 18 years.
Cunningham averaged 32.4 points for Detroit, which last won a postseason series
by beating Orlando in the second round in 2008. The Pistons advance to play the
winner of Sunday evening's Game 7 between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the
Toronto Raptors. Game 1 will be Tuesday at Little Caesars Arena.
The Pistons became the 15th team in NBA history to overcome a 3-1 deficit and
the second in the last two nights, after the Philadelphia 76ers came back to
eliminate Boston.
They trailed by 24 points in Game 6 in Orlando before rallying to take the
series at home. Orlando only scored 113 points in the final six quarters of the
series --- an average of 18.8 per period.
Cunningham and Harris became the first Pistons teammates to score 30 points in
a playoff game since Bob Lanier (33) and Howard Porter (30) against the Golden
State Warriors on April 17, 1977.
Paolo Banchero scored 38 for the Magic.
Each team needed a second scoring option in Game 7. Cunningham had carried the
Pistons while Banchero was Orlando's only weapon after Franz Wagner was injured
in Game 4.
Harris filled that role for Detroit, but Orlando only had one other player
reach double figures in the first three quarters, as Desmond Bane had 10.
The Pistons also got a big game from All-Star center Jalen Duren. He was
outplayed by Wendell Carter Jr. in the first six games, but put up his first
double-double of the series with 15 points and 15 rebounds.
Harris scored 17 points in the second quarter as the Pistons finished the half
on a 9-2 run to take a 60-49 lead.
The Pistons' surge continued into the second half, as they opened the third
quarter with a 11-2 run to go up 71-51. Nine of the points came from Cunningham
and Harris.
The Magic finished the third quarter with 15 points --- the third time in their
last five periods they couldn't reach 20 points.
Daniss Jenkins hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to give Detroit a 83-64 lead
going into the fourth, and the Magic never threatened down the stretch.
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba
|
