With his team on the brink of elimination, Pistons star Cade Cunningham left nothing on the table tonight.
Down 3-1 to the 8th-seeded Magic, this Pistons series has been one of the most shocking in the first round, and things would have gotten ugly had they lost today. Fortunately, thanks to a standout performance from Cunningham, they managed to stay alive to fight for another day. After the season-saving victory, the star point guard made a statement about his team and their unending fight to achieve total victory, no matter the odds.
“We’ve had a lot of adversity throughout this season,” said Cunningham, in a post-game chat with Cassidy Hubbarth. “We’ve had a great year so far, but we have a lot of dogs on our team, and we’re at our best when our backs are against the wall. We know it’s gonna be an uphill battle right now, we’ve dug ourselves a big hole, and it’s going to be tough to climb out of. But, we handled business tonight, and we gotta get ready to head back to Orlando and go get one there.”
The Pistons took a major step today with this win, building key confidence and momentum that could propel further victories. Still, the work has only just begun, and Cade knows that the desperation will have to continue to give his team a fighting chance.
“Just a never-doubt mentality,” said Cunningham in the media press conference. “I just wanted to have controlled aggression all night. I didn’t want the season to end, so I had to put it all on the line.”
With a final stat line of 45 points, four rebounds, five assists, one steal, and zero blocks on 56.5% shooting (62.5% shooting from three), there’s no question who the hero of this game was. Cade nearly doubled up his team’s second-highest scorer (Tobias Harris with 23 points) and delivered constant buckets, which always came right when the Pistons needed them most. Plus, in the rare moments when he wasn’t taking the initiative, he was looking to help get others involved, leading to five of the team’s 20 assists.
“There’s definitely a balance you have to find, with my position and the skill set that I have,” Cade added. ” I know that I can get us points by scoring, but I also have to make sure my team, using my playmaking abilities, to get everybody going and just make the right play. I got guys on my team that can finish plays, so just making sure that I’m making the right plays for my team.”
Nobody expected the Pistons to be in this position in the first round, least of all Cade Cunningham. While he’s experienced dark times with the franchise, this season was supposed to be their massive success story, starting with a 60-win season and ending with an NBA championship. Now, however, there are doubts they will make it past the end of the week after losing three of their first four playoff games.
So, in a game that was up for grabs most of the night, Cade approached it with calculated aggression that paid off in more ways than one. While we can’t expect these types of performances from the Pistons’ star every night, it just goes to show his ability to rise to the occasion. In a true test of bravery and resolve, he answered the call and proved that he can be trusted to carry his team when the stakes are highest.
