DETROIT — The Detroit Pistons are out of the 2026 NBA Playoffs after a 31-point blowout in front of a stunned Detroit crowd at Little Caesars Arena. Not many saw a 125-94 beatdown by the Cleveland Cavaliers coming heading into Game 7, but that’s exactly what happened. The Pistons looked like a shadow of themselves all night, staying in the lead for a grand total of 31 seconds. With the way Detroit played, it’s understandable to feel like Cade Cunningham was let down by the Pistons. By halftime, the arena had a subdued atmosphere. Every run Detroit attempted felt immediately swallowed whole by another mistake, another missed rotation, another possession where nobody, including Cunningham, looked remotely comfortable with the moment.
Cade Cunningham Was Let Down By The Pistons And Himself In A Brutal End To Their 2026 NBA Playoffs Run
Cunningham’s playoff stat line was spectacular for someone in just his second postseason run: 28.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, 7.5 assists and 1.7 stocks per game. He announced himself as a genuine playoff riser during that first-round series against Orlando. His 45-point performance in a must-win Game 5 against the Magic saved Detroit’s season. Then somehow he found another gear. Cunningham averaged over 36 points across Games 5 through 7 as the Pistons clawed back from a 3-1 deficit against Orlando.
The 39-point outing in the overtime loss in Game 5 against Cleveland may end up forgotten because of the result, but it probably shouldn’t be. That game was sitting right there for Detroit. One more bucket, one more defensive stop, one less “what exactly was that possession?” moment, and the entire complexion of the series changes. Instead, the Pistons walked away with a loss that felt heavier than the final score.
The Good Was Spectacular But The Bad Was Costly
For all the praise Cunningham deserves, there were flaws in his postseason run that can’t just be swept under the rug because of the workload he carried. He averaged 5.6 turnovers per game during the playoffs. His 79 total turnovers through 14 games had him on pace to threaten George McGinnis‘ single postseason turnover record of 111 set back in 1975 if Detroit had reached the Eastern Conference Finals. That’s not exactly the type of historical company you frame on the living room wall.
Some of those mistakes became genuinely series-altering. Cunningham’s carelessness with the ball in Game 3 helped swing momentum back towards the Cavs when Detroit had a real opportunity to take control of the series. Then came the nightmare stretch in Game 4. During Cleveland’s game-changing 22-0 third-quarter run, Cunningham committed three turnovers that helped deflate the atmosphere inside the building. It was basketball quicksand. Every bad possession somehow dragged two more down with it.
Still, context matters here. Cunningham was being asked to function as scorer, primary creator, late-clock bailout option and emotional leader all at once. That’s an exhausting job description even for established superstars. This is only Cunningham’s second trip through the postseason. The encouraging thing for Detroit is that these mistakes feel fixable. Ball security, pace control and manipulating double teams are usually the areas young stars sharpen with experience. The raw material is already there. Players don’t accidentally average nearly 30 points in the playoffs.
Pistons Didn’t Help Cade Cunningham When It Mattered Most
As the title suggests, all of the blame doesn’t fall on Cunningham’s shoulders. In fact, it’s probably a smaller fraction of the blame pie than almost anyone else involved. The Pistons didn’t help Cade Cunningham when he needed them most to mask arguably his worst game of the postseason. Cunningham shot 31% from the field in Game 7, making just five shots. It was his worst shooting performance of the 2026 NBA Playoffs, but Detroit responded to that rough outing by collectively setting fire to the offense right beside him. That’s teamwork in the worst possible way.
The only players who consistently showed up were Daniss Jenkins, Duncan Robinson and Caris LeVert. Jalen Duren’s well-publicised struggles continued throughout the series, especially defensively where Cleveland repeatedly dragged him into uncomfortable situations. Tobias Harris, who had been Detroit’s second-most reliable playoff performer early on, completely petered out over the final four games after an eight-game streak of scoring 20-plus points. Realistically, it was never going to be sustainable relying on a 33-year-old journeyman to consistently operate as the second scoring option on a contender-level team. Eventually the math catches up to you.
Ausar Thompson further cemented himself as one of the league’s elite perimeter defenders, but the offensive limitations and spacing issues remained difficult to navigate in a half-court playoff environment. Cleveland simply ignored him too often offensively, clogging driving lanes and making life harder for Cunningham possession after possession. The Pistons didn’t help Cade Cunningham nearly enough in game 7 for a team trying to make the ECF. The aggressiveness, hustle and rebounding we had come to associate with this team was nowhere to be seen in the most important game of the season. They must now bounce back from this loss and figure out the moves they need to make to become a true contender.
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