Pistons' Cade Cunningham Sends Blunt Message After Game 7 Loss
The No. 1 seed Detroit Pistons saw their season come to a crashing halt with Sunday night’s Game 7 loss to the No. 4 seed Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
The Pistons’ unquestioned leader Cade Cunningham had a rough showing in the closeout game, which ended with a lopsided 125-94 final score in favor of the Cavaliers. The 24-year-old point guard finished the game with just 13 points on 5/16 shooting from the field and 0/7 shooting from behind the 3-point arc.
“That game sucked,” Cunningham told reporters during his postgame press conference.
The Pistons failed to defend home-court advantage, losing both Game 5 and Game 7 at Detroit’s Little Caesars Arena.
“Being back home, definitely wanted to get this win for the fans,” he continued. “It reminded me of last year, losing on 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 gotta do.”
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Cunningham had his worst game of the playoffs at the wrong time. Just two games prior, he recorded 39 points, nine assists and seven rebounds. He had five games with at least 30 points in the Pistons’ playoff run, including a 45-point performance against the Orlando Magic in the first round.
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The Cavaliers now advance to face off against the No. 3 seed New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals.
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This story was originally published May 18, 2026 at 10:55 AM.