EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsDETROIT -- With the Pistons trailing by 34 points with 5:51 remaining, Cade Cunningham's night ended early as he was called to the bench between free throws while fans were exiting Little Caesars Arena.The All-Star guard hugged coach J.B. Bickerstaff and each of his teammates who were standing on the sideline before taking a seat after logging a playoff career-low 13 points.The top-seeded Pistons were eliminated in Game 7 at home against the Cleveland Cavaliers 125-94 in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Detroit's 31-point loss marked the third-largest defeat by a 60-win team in NBA postseason history, according to ESPN Research, but Bickerstaff refused to label the 2025-26 season as a letdown."It's not a disappointment at all. And not ever will I be disappointed in these guys," Bickerstaff said. "These guys, every single day gave us what they got. So, it is not a disappointment. It's a loss and it's a tough loss, but that adjective will never be used with this group."Cunningham shot 5-for-16 from the field and went 0-for-7 from 3-point range with five assists and three turnovers. The Pistons trailed by 17 points at halftime, which was the second-largest halftime deficit by a 1-seed in a Game 7 since seeding began in 1983-84, according to ESPN Research."That game sucked," Cunningham said. "Being back home, definitely wanted to get this win for the fans. It reminded me of last year, losing on the home court."It's not a great feeling. I hadn't been thinking about the offseason so my mind's been racing now, trying to figure out what I've got to do and what it's going to look like. That's really it."Since 2017, home teams are 14-15 (.483) in Game 7s (excluding the 2020 bubble). But before this span, home teams were 101-25 (.802) in Game 7s.The Pistons also had won four straight games when facing elimination this postseason, including a seven-game series victory over the Orlando Magic in Round 1. But they couldn't overcome a slow start against Cleveland in which they trailed 31-22 at the end of the first quarter and continued to play from behind.The Pistons finished with 34 points in the paint, tying their fewest in any game this season."Obviously, disappointing series right here. Fell short of doing enough of the right things to win the series," Cunningham said. "But, we were the No. 1 seed for a reason. We won a lot of games this year. We played great basketball all year long and really established an identity and stuff that we didn't have for a long time."So, all those things are positives and things that we'll take into the offseason and come back next year and grow from."Pistons guard Ausar Thompson struggled on offense with only five points, but he is certainly appreciative of this season's playoff run. Afterward, Thompson still couldn't hide the fact that Sunday's blowout loss to Cleveland, especially in a must-win situation at home, was a tough blow that will hopefully motivate the Pistons next season.He wants to remember how this moment felt because he doesn't want to feel the pain again going forward."No, I'm not forgetting. I'm not forgetting. I mean, that series, that felt personal," he said. "So, I'm not forgetting it. I remember."
