The first round of the NBA playoffs is going out with a bang, featuring two thrilling Game 7s that have fans on the edge of their seats. The Detroit Pistons are looking to complete another historic comeback against the Orlando Magic, while the Cleveland Cavaliers aim to defend their home court one more time against the Toronto Raptors.
It all tips off Sunday with a late-afternoon showdown in Detroit, where the Pistons host the Magic. Then, under the primetime lights, the Cavaliers and Raptors will battle to close out the opening round. The winners of these pivotal games will punch their tickets to the Eastern Conference semifinals, with Game 1 of that series set for Tuesday—whether in Detroit, Cleveland, or Toronto.
For the Pistons, this comeback attempt feels like déjà vu. Back in 2003, Detroit faced a daunting 3-1 deficit against Orlando in the first round, only to storm back and win three straight games. That feat made them the only top seed to overcome an eighth-seeded team since the playoffs expanded to a best-of-seven format that same year. Fast forward to now, and history is repeating itself. After a gritty 116-109 win in Game 5, the Pistons pulled off a jaw-dropping rally in Game 6, erasing a 24-point second-half deficit to beat the Magic 93-79 and force a decisive Game 7 back home.
What made that comeback even more remarkable? Orlando went ice-cold, missing 23 consecutive shots from the field—including 13 straight from three-point range. That drought marked the longest scoring slump by any team in a playoff game since the play-by-play era began in 1996-97, fueling a 35-5 run that turned the game on its head.
“Having your back against the wall really shows who you are,” said Pistons point guard Cade Cunningham, who has been averaging an impressive 32.5 points per game in the series. “There has been a lot of adversity so far in this series. I think we have learned a lot about who we are as a team and individually, and what we are made of. It has been a fun series. We want to get back to the crib and handle our business back home.”
But the Magic aren't backing down. They're chasing history of their own, hoping to become just the seventh eighth seed to knock off the conference's top seed in the first round. “The series ain’t over,” forward Paolo Banchero said confidently. “I know they’ve clawed their way to tie it up 3-3. We won a game to start the series, and we’ve just got to go do it again.”
Meanwhile, in the Eastern Conference's other Game 7, the Cavaliers and Raptors have been a study in home-court dominance. In a first round where road teams have racked up 18 wins across seven other series, this matchup has been a refreshing exception: the home team has won every single game. For the Cavaliers, that's a welcome pattern. They leaned on a similar script during their 2024 first-round series against the Magic, taking Game 7 at home with a 106-94 victory to advance.
As these two Game 7s unfold, one thing's for sure: the intensity is off the charts, and the stakes couldn't be higher. Whether you're rooting for a historic upset or a home-court celebration, this is playoff basketball at its finest.