Cade Cunningham didn’t pull punches after the Pistons’ season ended with a 125-94 rout at the hands of the Cavaliers in Game 7. Cleveland’s fast start and dominant interior play shut down Detroit, while Cunningham scored 13 points on 5-of-16 shooting and was p
The Detroit Pistons’ season ended in a rout on Sunday night, and Cade Cunningham didn’t try to soften the moment afterward.
Cleveland swept past Detroit 125-94 in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals at Little Caesars Arena. capping a night where the Pistons never found a rhythm and fell by 31 points.. Detroit came into the matchup as the Eastern Conference’s No.. 1 seed with 60 wins, but it absorbed a defeat that became the third-largest postseason loss ever by a 60-win team.
Cunningham’s frustration was immediate.. After being pulled with 5:51 remaining—when the Pistons trailed by 34—he finished with a playoff career-low 13 points on 5-for-16 shooting and went 0-for-7 from three-point range.. He also added five assists and three turnovers. and he summed up the performance in one blunt line: “That game sucked.”
Speaking in front of fans back home, Cunningham tied the loss to the feeling of déjà vu.. “Being back home, definitely wanted to get this win for the fans.. Reminded me of last year, losing on the home court.. It’s not a great feeling.. I hadn’t been thinking about the offseason so my mind’s been racing now. trying to figure out what I’ve got to do and what it’s going to look like.. That’s really it.”
Detroit’s start set the tone.. Cleveland jumped ahead 31-22 after the first quarter and followed with a 24-9 run in the second period. stretching the deficit so wide that the Pistons reached halftime down 64-47.. It was Detroit’s second-largest halftime deficit ever by a No.. 1 seed in a Game 7 since NBA seeding began in 1983-84.
On offense, the Pistons struggled to generate points consistently and the numbers stayed stubbornly low. Detroit shot just 35.3% from the floor and managed only 34 points in the paint, a total that tied their season low. Cleveland, meanwhile, controlled the interior with a 58-34 advantage.
Cleveland’s scoring punch made a comeback feel out of reach.. Donovan Mitchell finished with 26 points, including 15 in the third quarter to remove any late hope.. Jarrett Allen and Sam Merrill each scored 23. while Evan Mobley added 21 points and 12 rebounds as the Cavaliers advanced to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2018.
Even with the size of the loss, the Pistons’ season didn’t land in total deflation inside the locker room. Coach JB Bickerstaff refused to label the campaign a disappointment after Detroit’s turnaround from a 14-68 record two years ago to its first playoff series victory since 2008.
The night played out with a clear chain of events: Cleveland’s first-quarter lead of 31-22 quickly became a 24-9 second-period surge. pushing the game to a 64-47 halftime deficit. and Detroit’s final numbers reflected the same story—35.3% shooting and only 34 points in the paint alongside Cleveland’s 58-34 advantage.
For Detroit. the end is final: Game 7 at Little Caesars Arena ended 125-94. and Cunningham’s stat line—13 points. 5-for-16 overall. 0-for-7 from three. plus five assists and three turnovers—was a snapshot of what went wrong on the floor.. For Cleveland, the result carried them forward, sending the Cavaliers to the Eastern Conference finals after the Game 7 rout.
Detroit Pistons Cleveland Cavaliers Cade Cunningham Eastern Conference semifinals Game 7 Little Caesars Arena Donovan Mitchell Jarrett Allen Sam Merrill Evan Mobley