After trailing the Orlando Magic 3-1 in their first-round NBA Playoffs series, the Detroit Pistons completed an epic comeback with a dominant Game 7 performance that started before halftime and carried over into the second half.
Ultimately, the home team captured a 116-94 victory, earning a second-round matchup with the winner of the Toronto Raptors versus Cleveland Cavaliers series. In an impressive bit of stats, half of Detroit’s points in the win came courtesy of the duo of Tobias Harris and Cade Cunningham.
Harris shot 11-of-18 from the field, including five three-pointers, to finish with 30 points, a type of total he used to achieve or flirt with regularly years ago. His teammate Cunningham continues to show he was worthy of becoming a top pick for the Pistons, leading the way with 32 points on 10-of-18 from the field.
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With both of Detroit’s players scoring at least 30 points in the same playoff game, they joined former Pistons players, including a Hall of Famer, in achieving a historic feat. According to ESPN Insights, it was only the third time in postseason history that two Pistons both scored 30 in a game.
The great Bob Lanier was involved in each of the other two times, which occurred in the late 1970s. He first achieved it in 1976 during the semifinals round with his teammate, Curtis Rowe, against the Warriors. Lanier achieved it again the next year in the first round with teammate Howard Porter, also against the Warriors.
That’s some elite company for Harris and Cunningham, as Lanier was an eight-time All-Star, scored over 19,000 points, and is now in the Pro Basketball Hall of Fame. Porter and Rowe didn’t achieve quite the same accolades in their careers, with neither topping 7,000 points.
Harris has been in the league since 2011 and has amassed 16,440 points. He isn’t likely to be a Hall of Famer, but he’s scored 30 points or more in a game 36 times in his career, showcasing how valuable a player he is despite not receiving accolades, such as All-Star selections or awards.
His career high is 39 points, and he regularly contributes by hauling in rebounds, with nine in Game 7 and 10 in the Pistons’ Game 6 win. He’s one of those many unsung heroes who are so valuable to a squad, with his most seasons spent playing for Detroit or Philly.
Meanwhile, it’s obviously very, very early in Cunningham’s career, but the trajectory for a stellar career is there based on what he’s doing. He scorched Orlando for 45 points in Detroit’s must-win Game 5, then followed it with back-to-back 32-point performances in these past two wins.
In five seasons, Cunningham has over 6,000 points, averaged over 9 assists per game over the past two seasons, is a two-time NBA All-Star, and was among the MVP candidates this past season. At age 24, he’s just getting started, and the Pistons have to be extremely excited about what his future holds.
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For more about the NBA, head over to Newsweek Sports.
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