The Detroit Pistons‘ season is over after losing Game 7 at home to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday. Before the game, the NBA announced that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander won the MVP, with Cade Cunningham finishing fifth.
According to the official MVP tally, Cunningham received two first-place votes, one second-place vote, three third-place votes, 11 fourth-place votes and 42 fifth-place votes. He was just behind SGA, Nikola Jokic, Victor Wembanyama and Luka Doncic, cementing himself as one of the best players in the league.
Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press reported that Cunningham made history amid his Top 5 finish. The Pistons star is the first American to receive at least one first-place MVP vote since Steph Curry in 2021.
Cunningham snapped a five-year streak by the Americans, which showed how dominant international players have been. Curry received five first-place votes in 2021, finishing third behind Jokic and Joel Embiid.
Cade Cunningham, Pistons Fall Short in Game 7
GettyCade Cunningham #2 of the Detroit Pistons reacts as he is substituted during the fourth quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game Seven of the Second Round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs at Little Caesars Arena on May 17, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan.
Despite having homecourt advantage for Game 7, the Detroit Pistons came out flat on Sunday against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Pistons couldn’t knock down shots and made stops when they needed to, allowing the Cavs to dominate from start to finish.
Cade Cunningham finished with just 13 points on 5-for-16 shooting, adding four rebounds, five assists and two steals in Detroit’s 125-94 loss. Jalen Duren continued to struggle, putting up seven points, nine rebounds, three assists and two blocks.
Daniss Jenkins was the team’s leading scorer with 17 points, while Duncan Robinson scored 13 points off the bench. It was a disappointing ending for the Pistons, especially with the way they played in the regular season as the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.
As for the Cavs, Donovan Mitchell came out of his slump to finish with 26 points, six rebounds and eight assists. James Harden struggled with just nine points, but they received contributions from Jarrett Allen, Evan Mobley and Sam Merrill, who combined for 67 points.
The Cavaliers will face the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals.
What’s Next For the Detroit Pistons?
GettyJalen Duren #0 Pistons high fives Ausar Thompson #9 of the Detroit Pistons during the second quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Little Caesars Arena on February 25, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan.
The Pistons front office decided to not add any secondary scorer at the trade deadline. It backfired since they clearly needed a second star alongside Cade Cunningham, who did everything he could to carry the team on offense.
While Jalen Duren looked like that second option late in the regular season, he just vanished in the playoffs. Tobias Harris is a reliable veteran, but he’s not a secondary option for championship contender.
According to Sam Quinn of CBS Sports, the Pistons will need to prioritize finding a second shot creator in the offseason.
“The Pistons should now know definitively that asking Cunningham to carry them through an entire postseason without another high-level creator does him an enormous disservice,” Quinn wrote. “Next year’s Pistons need more shooting and another dribbler better than Daniss Jenkins or Caris LeVert.”
Quinn also floated several ideas like waiting patiently for Ausar Thompson to fit with Duren and trading either Thompson or Duren to let one flourish.
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Detroit Pistons Star Cade Cunningham Makes History After Top 5 MVP Finish appeared first on HEAVY.