Paolo Banchero Scores 22 Early in Game 5 Against Pistons

paolo banchero set the tone early Wednesday night, scoring 22 points in the opening 24 minutes of Game 5 against the Pistons. He also added five rebounds, four assists and two steals, giving Orlando production across the box score while the first-round series stayed tight.

Detroit had its own answer. Cade Cunningham matched that level with 27 first-half points, including 20 in the second quarter, so neither team spent long without a response in a game built on shot-making from both young stars.

Banchero and Cunningham Trade Blows

The matchup was framed by two franchise cornerstones playing through different kinds of pressure. Banchero, the Magic forward, kept scoring in the first 24 minutes while Cunningham, the Pistons guard, kept forcing Orlando to answer every surge from Detroit.

Cunningham’s night carried extra weight because he had already gone through a March 17 matchup with the Wizards in which he suffered a collapsed lung. He had already earned his first All-Star Game starter nod, but he did not reach the 65-game mark needed to qualify for NBA awards.

Cunningham’s Second-Quarter Surge

Twenty of Cunningham’s first-half points came in the second quarter. That stretch kept Detroit level in a game that was still being decided by possession swings, not by one side running away with it.

For Orlando, Banchero’s early line gave the Magic a steady base: 22 points before the game reached halftime, plus the rebounds, assists and steals that rounded out his impact. The first-round series between the Pistons and Magic kept turning on whether either side could string together enough stops after those early scoring bursts.

Magic Face Another Answer

Orlando now has the clearest part of the formula in front of it. Banchero produced 22 points in 24 minutes and forced Detroit to match him with Cunningham’s 27-point first half, and that level of star scoring is what has kept Game 5 in reach.