Detroit Pistons superstar Cade Cunningham shared his honest reaction after his team was blown out in Game 7 by the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Cavaliers beat the Pistons 125-94 in Game 7 in Detroit to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they will take on the New York Knicks. For the Pistons, this was an incredibly disappointing defeat, one because they were blown out on their home court, and two, because they lost as the higher seed in the series. For Cunningham in particular, it was a tough night at the office, especially after finding out he finished fifth in MVP voting earlier in the day. He finished with only 13 points in Game 7, while going 0-7 from 3-point range.
The Pistons finished with the No. 1 overall seed in the Eastern Conference, taking a 60-22 record into the postseason. But after a tough seven-game series against the Orlando Magic in the first round that the Pistons squeaked by in, they weren’t able to muster up similar magic in the second round, and the 52-30 Cavs knocked them out of the playoffs.
Cade Cunningham Shares Honest Reaction After Blowout Loss
Speaking to reporters after the Pistons were blown out on their home court by the Pistons, Cade Cunningham shared his honest reaction with the media.
“Yeah, that game sucked,” Cunningham said. “Being at home, we definitely wanted to get this win for the fans. It reminds me of last year, losing on home court (to the Knicks), it’s not a great feeling. I haven’t even been thinking about the offseason, my mind’s been racing now trying to figure out what I gotta do, what it’s going to look like. That’s pretty much it.”
Where Do the Pistons Go From Here?
The Pistons were one of the big surprises of the regular season as they earned the top spot in the Eastern Conference while looking like a serious title threat all year long. Given it was just two years ago that they were the worst team in the NBA, it’s been a remarkable turnaround in a short amount of time under head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, who is one of the league’s top bench bosses.
That being said, when you are the No. 1 seed, you are supposed to beat the teams below you in the standings. After struggling to get past Orlando in the first round, the Pistons then fell to the Cavs in the second round. That means the team might need to make some big changes this offseason to take the next step and advance closer to the NBA Finals.
Several of the Pistons’ key players are free agents, so this roster might look very different come training camp in the fall. Center Jalen Duren, who was an All-Star this year, had a poor postseason performance. He is a restricted free agent and can take offers from other teams, though the Pistons will have the right to match. It will be interesting to see what he gets paid as an RFA after a bad playoff run.
As well, veteran Tobias Harris is an unrestricted free agent. He was solid for Detroit this year, but at nearly 34, the team may move on and use his cap space to bring in someone else. Other free agents like Kevin Huerter and Javonte Green seem unlikely to return to the team, so they will need to find new players to fill in for them.
Cade Cunningham Shares Honest Reaction to Bad Game 7 Loss