How the Orlando Magic Season Ended at Cade Cunningham's Hands

There have been 15 blown 3-1 leads in NBA History.

The Orlando Magic now have two of them -- both to the Detroit Pistons.

The top-seeded Pistons completed the historical feat in Game 7 with a 116-94 win. What were a few of our takeaways?! Let's examine!

Paolo Banchero ... and who else?

Magic Pistons — May 3, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (5) reacts in the first half against the Detroit Pistons during game seven of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

With 1:08 left in the third quarter, Paolo Banchero had 32 points. He was stupendous, rising to the occassion right from the opening tip (he had Magic's first 11 points).

The rest of the Magic? 30 combined.

Orlando had none of that, while the Pistons -- behind Cade Cunningham -- had Tobias Harris (more on him shortly) and Daniss Jenkins, who scored 16 points off the bench. Desmond Bane had a relatively quiet 16 points as well on only 10 shot attempts; Carter and Black, who had a very rough series, had 13 and 11 points, respectively.

But when the game was within distance, Banchero, who ultimately finished with 38 on 14-of-25 shooting with four threes, stood alone.

Tobias Harris is Pistons' Game 7 hero:

Knotted at 45 with 2:31 left in the first half, the Pistons began to pull away. And the run was sparked by none other than Tobias Harris, who scored 11-straight Pistons points to spark a 15-4 run heading into the break.

From there, the Pistons didn't look back, and Harris played an integral part. He scored 30 points, his second career 30-point performance in the playoffs, on 11-of-18 shooting and 5-of-7 from 3-point range, one off from tying a playoff career high.

Outside of Games 1 and 2, Harris was easily Detroit's second-best player. And for a player whose playoff shortcomings were largely mocked, he waited for the best time to have perhaps his best.

The difference was on the margins:

Pistons Magic — May 3, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (5) dribbles defended by Detroit Pistons guard Ausar Thompson (9) and guard Cade Cunningham (2) in the first half during game seven of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

One of my key numbers from Game 6 was that the Magic only forced 11 Pistons turnovers after forcing at least 14 in the five games prior.

Detroit coughed up the rock twice in the first 3:12, and twice over the ensuing 26-plus minutes. In total, it turned the ball over 13 times -- although seven of those were in "garbage time" in the fourth quarter -- compared to the Magic's 13.

Cunningham, who finished with a team-high 32 points, didn't look sped up, nor did the rest of the Pistons' ballhandlers. They exploited the right matchups in the halfcourt and didn't try to put any unnecessary passes in harm's way.

Furthermore, Detroit held advantages on the glass (plus-eight), from the 3-point line (plus-18) and the paint (plus-10). Jalen Duren had his best game of the series, posting 15 points and a game-high 15 rebounds, with timely buckets and plays from Duncan Robinson and Ausar Thompson.

The streak continues:

Orlando's Game 7 loss caps off one of the most disappointing and frustrating seasons in recent franchise history -- highlighted by an unfathomable 3-1 meltdown after what transpired in Game 6.

While the Pistons won their first series in 18 years, the Orlando Magic are now 0-6 in their last six first-round series, a span that lasts 16 seasons.

Now, a long offseason awaits.

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