Cade Cunningham 45 points vs Magic (Apr 29, 2026): First round Game 5
45 PTS · 13-of-23 FG · 5-of-8 3P · 14-of-14 FT · 43:42 MIN
Usual: 2025-26 regular season, 63 games, Oct 22 – Apr 12 (24.0 PTS · 18.6 FGA · 33.9 MIN)
Game Score 33.8 against a usual 19.9 (+13.9)
above usual
Playoff game · against the 2025-26 regular season
No more than 4 in 100 games by players at this level finish this far above their usual: playoff games, each against the player's regular-season usual.
How the score worksWhy did Cade Cunningham score 45 points?
In Game 5 of the first round against the Magic on Apr 29, 2026, Cade Cunningham scored 45 points in 43:42: 13-of-23 from the field (56.5%), 5-of-8 from three (62.5%), 14-of-14 on free throws (100.0%). Coming in, Cunningham had averaged 24.0 points on 18.6 shots in 33.9 minutes, from 63 regular-season games. Cunningham took 23 shots, 4.4 more than usual. Cunningham shot 56.5% from the field, against a usual 46.1%. By shot type: free throws 14 points (usual 4.8); threes 15 points (usual 5.9); two-pointers 16 points (usual 13.3). Cunningham played 43:42 against a usual 33.9 minutes; per 36 minutes the Game Score was 27.8, against a usual 21.1. Assists: 5, against a usual 9.8. The Pistons won 116-109 at home against the Magic. The box score records what changed, not why: it holds no injury, matchup or coaching information.
Generated from the box score and this season's game log. How the score works
What changed
Cunningham in this game against the usual line
| Stat | This game | Usual (63 games) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minutes | 43:42 | 33.9 | +9.8 |
| Points | 45 | 24.0 | +21.0 |
| Shots (FGA) · FG% | 23 · 56.5% | 18.6 · 46.1% | +4.4 · +10.4 |
| 3PA · 3P% | 8 · 62.5% | 5.7 · 34.0% | +2.3 · +28.5 |
| FTA · FT% | 14 · 100.0% | 5.9 · 81.6% | +8.1 · +18.4 |
| Rebounds | 4 | 5.5 | -1.5 |
| Assists | 5 | 9.8 | -4.8 |
| Turnovers | 6 | 3.7 | +2.3 |
| UsageUsual: minutes-weighted average of per-game usage, 63 games | 34.4 | 30.6 | +3.8 |
| Game Score per 36 minutes | 27.8 | 21.1 | +6.7 |
Points by shot type
Twos, threes and free throws: the changes add up to the points change
| Shot type | This game | Usual (63 games) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Threes | 15 (5-of-8) | 5.9 (2.0-of-5.7) | +9.1 |
| Twos | 16 (8-of-15) | 13.3 (6.6-of-12.9) | +2.7 |
| Free throws | 14 (14-of-14) | 4.8 (4.8-of-5.9) | +9.2 |
| Total | 45 | 24.0 | +21.0 |
Game Score
One measure of the whole box score line
33.8 against a usual 19.9 (+13.9)
Its five parts
| Part | Change |
|---|---|
| Scoring, net of shot attempts | +20.2 |
| Rebounds | +0.4 |
| Assists | -3.4 |
| Steals and blocks | -1.0 |
| Turnovers and fouls | -2.3 |
| Total | +13.9 |
This postseason so far
Playoff games in date order, this game last; no score
| Date | Round | Opp | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 19, 2026 | First round · Game 1 | vs ORL | 40:18 | 39 | 5 | 4 | 26.2 |
| Apr 22, 2026 | First round · Game 2 | vs ORL | 37:24 | 27 | 6 | 11 | 19.9 |
| Apr 25, 2026 | First round · Game 3 | @ ORL | 41:12 | 27 | 5 | 9 | 12.1 |
| Apr 27, 2026 | First round · Game 4 | @ ORL | 38:54 | 25 | 9 | 6 | 9.2 |
| Apr 29, 2026This game | First round · Game 5 | vs ORL | 43:42 | 45 | 4 | 5 | 33.8 |
Context
From the rows this page already reads
- The Pistons won 116-109 at home against the Magic.
- Previous appearance: Apr 27, 2026, 2 days earlier.
- Earlier in this series: 39 points (Game 1), 27 points (Game 2), 27 points (Game 3), 25 points (Game 4).
- The source holds fewer Pistons regular-season games than the 2025-26 regular season had, so the usual line counts only the games it holds.
What this page cannot tell you
The same on every performance page
Box scores record what happened, not why: no injuries or health, defensive assignments, matchups, coaching decisions or play-by-play.
Game Score against the player's own regular-season usual line, never blended with last season. How rare a gap is comes from NBA playoff games of 2023-24, 2024-25 and 2025-26, each postseason checked on a table fit on the others; the top tier is Rare.