The Pistons pulled off an incredible comeback against the Magic, the Lakers finally defeated Houston, and the Raptors set up the game-winner against the Cavs.
Published May 2, 2026
The top-seeded Detroit Pistons pulled back from the brink of elimination with a stunning comeback against Orlando, while the Los Angeles Lakers finally defeated Houston in their third attempt at the NBA playoffs.
The Pistons’ come-from-behind victory on Friday pushed the series against the Magic into a decisive Game 7, while the Toronto Raptors also set up a finals game against Cleveland thanks to a thrilling overtime victory.
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Leading 3-2 in the series against Detroit and looking for a close victory, the Magic were up to as many as 24 points before their shooting suddenly fell apart and the Pistons maximized their advantage.
Shocked, Orlando missed 23 consecutive field goals, the longest streak in playoff history, and scored just one point in more than 10 minutes of basketball, giving the Pistons a 93-79 victory.
“Never say die, it’s as simple as that. I mean, Detroit’s grit, that’s what we’ve been talking about all year,” said Detroit’s Cade Cunningham, who was the leading scorer with 32 points and 10 rebounds.
The Pistons, who were down 3-1 in the series, were expected to become the seventh top seed in NBA history to lose in the first round to the bottom seed in their conference.
But they have a chance to win the series Sunday in Detroit.
After an even first quarter, Orlando continued to play well, but the pressure seemed to be on to get a shutout for their first playoff series win since 2010.
Boos rained down on the court as the Magic’s 71-54 advantage turned into an 80-72 Detroit lead.
The Pistons dominated the regular season and will be the favorites to win the playoff series for the first time since 2008.
“Thankfully, I was able to take this back to the crib,” said Cunningham, who scored 19 points in the fourth quarter. “It’s going to be noisy in Detroit, so I have to run some errands.”
Raptors beat Cavs in Game 7
If Detroit advances to the Eastern semifinals, it will face either the Cleveland Cavaliers or the Raptors, but Toronto won that series 3-3 in overtime.
Playing at home, the Raptors led most of the night until the Cavaliers regained momentum in the fourth quarter and set up a fierce finish.
Trailing by two points with less than a minute left, Toronto handed Cleveland a lifeline on a shot clock violation.
Evan Mobley broke through the Raptors’ defense to tie the game at 104-104, and Toronto’s Jamal Shehead narrowly missed a return shot late in regulation.
Cleveland dominated in overtime, leading by one point until the final seconds.
But RJ Barrett’s 3-point jump shot bounced off the heel of the rim, looped through the air and fell into the net, clinching the victory for Toronto.
“Glory to God. In the fourth quarter, in overtime, we didn’t make anything, we played bad…Thank God we were able to make that shot,” Barrett said.
Game 7 will be played Sunday in Cleveland.
“Closing status”
The Lakers led the series against Houston 3-0, but wobbled twice before the Rockets got back to 3-2.
However, LeBron James’ team won 98-78 to end the series and set up a Western semifinal matchup with the reigning NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder.
James was the top scorer with 28 points, 8 assists, and 7 rebounds, continuing his strong postseason form even at age 41.
The Lakers didn’t blush with this win. A loss would have put them one loss away from becoming the first team in NBA history to take a 3-0 lead in the playoffs.
“Quite frankly, a lot of our players have never been in this position and never been in a close game situation, especially on the road, so it was important for me to go out and get in shape,” James said.
