Cade Cunningham kept top-seeded Detroit's NBA playoff run alive against the Orlando Magic, as the Los Angeles Lakers again failed to close out their series with Houston on Wednesday.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The Cleveland Cavaliers meanwhile pulled off an impressive comeback victory to take a 3-2 lead over the Toronto Raptors in the first round of the playoffs.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Cunningham scored a Pistons playoff-record 45 points to drag his side to a 116-109 victory on a must-win night, steering Detroit back to a 3-2 deficit in the best-of-seven series.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The Pistons star man, having recently returned from a collapsed lung, played nearly 44 minutes as Detroit avoided a stunning first-round ouster at the hands of eighth seed Orlando.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"We dug ourselves a big hole, it's going to be a tough one to climb out of, but we handled business tonight," said Cunningham.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"We're at our best when our backs are against the wall," he added.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Having dominated the Eastern Conference during the regular season, Detroit has faltered badly at the start of the post-season.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Needing to win three in a row to escape the first round, the Pistons came out of the blocks fast in front of a home crowd Wednesday.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Playing with a high energy bordering on desperation, Detroit owned the glass with 17 rebounds in the first quarter, building a 12-point lead.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Cunningham exploded into the game with 20 points in the second quarter alone.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
But the gap closed to six points by half-time, and Orlando missed two go-ahead three-pointer attempts soon after the break.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The Pistons took advantage and powered well clear. Orlando refused to quit, mounting a late charge including a pair of Paolo Banchero three-pointers that narrowed the lead back to three points.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
But a Cunningham triple with barely 30 seconds remaining sealed the win. Banchero top-scored for Orlando with 45 points.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The Magic will have another chance to finish a surprise series win on Friday back in Orlando. A possible decider would take place in Detroit on Sunday.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
- LeBron's 25 not enough -<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Jabari Smith Jr.'s 22 points helped the Houston Rockets grind out a gritty 99-93 win to bring their series with the Los Angeles Lakers back to 3-2.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The Lakers had led 3-0, but now face a tricky trip to Texas for game six.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The return of key offensive contributor Austin Reaves after nine games out with an oblique injury had boosted the Lakers, who got off to a bright first quarter on Wednesday.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
But the Rockets -- who were again without star forward Kevin Durant with an ankle issue -- shot ahead, building a 13-point advantage midway through the final quarter.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
A LeBron James driving layup reduced the deficit to single digits with five minutes remaining, pumping up the home crowd.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
But it was not to be for the Lakers. Another loss in Houston on Friday would put the Lakers at risk of becoming the first team in history to blow a 3-0 lead in a playoff series.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Veteran 41-year-old superstar James top-scored on the night with 25 points, continuing his remarkable post-season form, but failed to score any of his three-pointer efforts.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"We just couldn't make shots," said Lakers coach JJ Redick.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"Missed some layups, certainly had some good looks for three that didn't go down. But we'll take a look at the whole process."<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Cleveland secured a fifth straight win for the home team in their series against Toronto to take a 3-2 lead.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Having twice trailed by 12 points, Cleveland powered back in the second half with a much stronger defensive performance to win 125-120.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Evan Mobley led the rally with 10 points in the third quarter, while Dennis Schroder added 19 off the bench.<\/p>\r\n\r\n