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Recap: Lakers advance, Pistons, Raptors force Game 7s

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Cade Cunningham scored 19 of his game-high 32 points in the fourth quarter to fuel Detroit’s historic 24-point comeback and force a Game 7. (Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images)

Enjoy the best of the 2026 NBA Playoffs, presented by Google, with the NBA.com live blog, featuring all of the meaningful moments, performances, observations, news and highlights from the night’s action.

We’re all done for the night! Detroit and Toronto both force Game 7s on Sunday, while the Lakers take down the Rockets to advance to the Western Conference Semifinals.

What we know after Friday’s games:

  • The Pistons forced a Game 7 after recording the largest comeback by a road team facing elimination since the 1996-97 season (24 points). Cade Cunningham scored 19 of his game-high 32 points in the fourth quarter to power Detroit’s 31-8 scoring advantage over the final 12 minutes, as Detroit wins 93-79.
  • Toronto kept their season alive behind RJ Barrett’s (24 pts, 4 3PM) go-ahead triple that refused to bounce out, prompting this response from Tyrese Haliburton. The Raptors win Game 6 in overtime, 112-110, to give basketball fans another Game 7 in Cleveland on Sunday.
  • The Lakers advanced to the second round following their 98-78 victory over Houston. LeBron James posted game-highs in scoring (28 pts) and plus-minus (+26) to go along with seven rebounds and eight assists. The King has now won 22 series-clinching games on the road in his career, passing Derek Fisher and Tim Duncan for the most all-time. LA will face the Oklahoma City Thunder in the next round.

Friday’s finals

May 2, 2026 / 12:34 ET

Three Game 7s this weekend🤩

May 2, 2026 / 12:31 ET

Schedule updates for Game 7s

Win or go home for Magic-Pistons and Raptors-Cavaliers on Sunday.

May 2, 2026 / 12:28 ET

LeBron, Lakers advance to semis

LeBron James drops a game-best 28 points (10-25 FG) and +26 plus-minus to lead the Lakers to a 98-78 win over Houston in Game 6. LA clinches the series victory behind LeBron (7 reb, 8 ast), Rui Hachimura (21 pts, 5 3PM, 6 reb) and Austin Reaves (15 pts, 3 reb, 3 blk).

The Lakers will now face the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Semifinals.

Amen Thompson (18 pts, 8 reb, 3 ast, 3 blk), Alperen Sengun (17 pts, 11 reb, 2 blk) and Tari Eason (14 pts, 5 reb, 3 stl, 1 blk) left it all on the court as the Rockets’ season comes to an end.

Check out the postgame presser above.

May 2, 2026 / 12:05 ET

Lakers closing in on series win

Los Angeles holds a 93-67 lead over Houston with 3:15 remaining in the contest.

May 1, 2026 / 11:50 ET

Sound up for RJ

RJ Barrett speaks on his game-winning performance as the Raptors force a Game 7 on Sunday in Cleveland.

May 1, 2026 / 11:45 ET

LA leads 71-55 going to 4Q

LeBron James has a game-high 22 points to power the Lakers, while Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson each have 14 points for the Rockets.

Can Houston stave off elimination and force a Game 7? Tune in on Prime Video for the final 12 minutes!

May 1, 2026 / 11:31 ET

Lakers maintain edge in 3Q

LeBron James (game-high 22 pts, 6 ast), Rui Hachimura (16 pts, 4 3PM, 6 reb, 1 blk) and Austin Reaves (11 pts, 2 reb, 2 ast) are keeping the Lakers’ collective foot on the gas. LA holds a 67-47 lead with 3:37 left in the third quarter.

Tari Eason (12 pts, 3 reb, 1 stl) and Amen Thompson (12 pts, 6 reb, 3 ast, 3 blk) pace the Rockets as they aim to fight back and force a Game 7.

May 1, 2026 / 11:02 ET

Lakers up 49-31 at halftime

LeBron James (game-high 18 pts, 5 ast) and Rui Hachimura (10 pts, 2 3PM, 4 reb, 1 blk) power the Lakers’ 18-point lead over Houston at the break. LA holds the Rockets to 29% shooting (12-42 FG) overall and 17% from behind the arc (2-12 3PM).

Alperen Sengun (8 pts, 7 reb, 2 blk), Tari Eason (7 pts, 2 reb) and Jabari Smith Jr. (7 pts, 4 reb, 1 ast) lead the way for Houston. The Rockets will have to turn up the intensity in the second half if they want to keep their season alive and force a Game 7.

May 1, 2026 / 10:51 ET

LeBron, Lakers in control

LeBron James has a game-high 15 points on 6-for-12 shooting, adding 3 rebounds and 4 assists in 18 minutes. The Lakers lead Houston 43-31 with 1:51 left in the first half.

Alperen Sengun fuels the Rockets with 8 points, 7 boards and 2 blocks in 20 minutes.

May 1, 2026 / 10:42 ET

Barrett, Raptors force Game 7

RJ Barrett gets the high bounce to fall on his game-winning 3-pointer, giving him 24 points to go along with 9 rebounds, 3 assists and one steal in 43 minutes. Toronto survives in overtime, 112-110, and forces a Game 7 back in Cleveland on Sunday.

Scottie Barnes tallies a team-high 25 points, 14 assists and 3 blocks with 7 rebounds and 3 steals in 48 minutes, and Ja’Kobe Walters pours in 24 points with four 3s, 5 rebounds, 3 steals and a block.

Evan Mobley’s 3-point attempt falls just short as the clock expires, but he finishes with a game-high 26 points and 14 rebounds in 41 minutes. Donovan Mitchell tallies 24 points on 11-for-26 shooting, scoring 13 of those in the fourth, along with 5 boards, 2 dimes and one block.

May 1, 2026 / 10:24 ET

Cade takes over to force Game 7

Two of the best words in sports. Game 7 on Sunday.

May 1, 2026 / 10:19 ET

Cavs-Raptors is GOOD

We’re tied at 106 after a successful challenge by Toronto to overturn what would have been the sixth foul on Jamal Shead.

May 1, 2026 / 10:13 ET

Cavs-Raptors going to OT

Jamal Shead can’t get the friendly bounce as the buzzer sounds in Toronto, and the Cavaliers and Raptors are heading to overtime tied at 104 in Game 6.

Cleveland owns a 3-2 series lead, will they close out? Or will Toronto force a Game 7?

May 1, 2026 / 10:10 ET

Lakers-Rockets live for Game 6

Rui Hachimura leads the Lakers with 7 points to give LA a 23-18 advantage with 2:16 left in the first quarter.

Tari Eason matches him with 7 points on 3-for-4 shooting to pace Houston.

May 1, 2026 / 10:06 ET

2-point game in Toronto!

The Raptors have a 104-102 lead over the Cavs with 15.6 seconds remaining. Cleveland takes a timeout as they look to tie or take the lead.

May 1, 2026 / 10:00 ET

Spida taking over in fourth

Donovan Mitchell has brought the Cavs back in the fourth quarter, dropping 11 of his 22 points in the frame to make it a 100-99 lead for the Raptors with 2:57 remaining on Prime Video!

May 1, 2026 / 9:47 ET

Pistons force Game 7

Detroit records the largest comeback by a road team facing elimination since the 1996-97 season by overcoming a 24-point deficit in Orlando in Game 6. An unbelievable rally behind Cade Cunningham’s game-high 32 points, 19 of which came in the fourth quarter.

Cunningham tallies 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals and one block across 42 minutes. Tobias Harris adds 22 points and 10 boards, while Duncan Robinson chips in 14 points with 4 3-pointers and a game-best +24 in 36 minutes.

The Pistons outscore the Magic 31-8 over the final 12 minutes. Desmond Bane (3 reb, 2 stl) and Paolo Banchero (4-20 FG, 10 reb, 6 ast, 2 stl) pace Orlando with 17 points apiece in the crushing defeat after leading by as many as 24 points.

May 1, 2026 / 9:36 ET

Toronto in control going to 4Q

RJ Barrett has a game-high 21 points to help the Raptors take a 92-81 lead to the fourth quarter. Ja’Kobe Walter (19 pts, 3 stl) and Scottie Barnes (18 pts, 12 ast, 2 blk) are right behind Barrett, who adds 7 boards, 3 dimes and a steal in 26 minutes.

Evan Mobley paces Cleveland with 17 points on 5-for-8 shooting (2 3PM), with Jarrett Allen (14 pts, 2 blk), James Harden (12 pts, 5 reb, 6 ast, 2 stl) and Donovan Mitchell (11 pts, 3 reb) in support.

May 1, 2026 / 9:27 ET

Los Angeles Lakers:

  • PG – Austin Reaves (22.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 6.0 apg)
  • SG – Marcus Smart (16.2 ppg, 6.4 apg, 2.8 spg, 1.6 bpg)
  • SF – LeBron James (22.2 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 8.4 apg, 1.6 spg)
  • PF – Rui Hachimura (14.8 ppg, 54.5 3P% on 4.4 3PA, 1.2 spg)
  • C – Deandre Ayton (12.8 ppg, 9.8 rpg, 1.0 bpg)

Houston Rockets:

  • PG – Reed Sheppard (12.6 ppg, 5.4 apg, 2.2 spg)
  • SG – Amen Thompson (19.4 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 6.2 apg, 2.4 spg)
  • SF – Tari Eason (13.8 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 2.4 spg)
  • PF – Jabari Smith Jr. (19.2 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 1.2 spg)
  • C – Alperen Sengun (21.0 ppg, 10.0 rpg, 5.4 apg, 2.2 spg, 1.2 bpg)

May 1, 2026 / 9:17 ET

Pistons take lead in 4Q!

Detroit fights back to grab a 74-72 lead over Orlando with 6:04 remaining in the contest. Cade Cunningham (23 pts) scores the first 10 points in the fourth to give the Pistons life with a 20-1 run.

May 1, 2026 / 9:10 ET

Cade is too nice

Cade Cunningham is up to a game-high 19 points on 8-for-19 shooting with 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals and one block. Detroit has trimmed a 24-point deficit to 72-68 with 8:28 left in the game on Prime Video.

May 1, 2026 / 8:58 ET

Pistons close gap heading to 4Q

Detroit outscores Orlando 24-11 in the third to cut their deficit to just 9, 71-62, behind an 8-0 run to close the period. Cade Cunningham is doing it all with 13 points (5-15 FG), 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals in 30 minutes.

Desmond Bane has a game-high 17 points on 7-for-14 shooting, while Paolo Banchero adds 13 points, 6 rebounds, 6 dimes and 2 steals in 30 minutes.

May 1, 2026 / 8:55 ET

Raptors up 10 at halftime

Toronto takes a 61-51 lead over Cleveland at the break behind RJ Barrett (15 pts, 3 3PM, 4 reb), Scottie Barnes (14 pts, 10 ast, 2 blk) and Ja’Kobe Walter (13 pts, 3 3PM, 2 stl).

The Raptors have forced 10 Cavs’ turnovers resulting in a 14-6 edge in points off TOs, and they’re controlling the fast break (13-1).

Evan Mobley (11 pts, 6 reb, 2 ast), Donovan Mitchell (7 pts, 2 reb) and James Harden (8 pts, 4 reb, 4 ast, 2 stl) look to bring Cleveland back and advance to the second round.

May 1, 2026 / 8:43 ET

Barnes bringing the energy

Scottie Barnes brings the home crowd to their feet with this coast-to-coast effort, and he’s up to 14 points (6-11 FG), 2 rebounds and 9 assists to help Toronto hold a 55-49 lead with 3:05 left in the second quarter.

May 1, 2026 / 8:38 ET

Pistons not going away

Detroit has trimmed a 24-point deficit down to just 10, as they trail Orlando 64-50 with 7:06 left in the third. Cade Cunningham (12 pts, 3 reb, 2 stl) and Tobias Harris (13 pts, 4 reb) continue to lead the way for the Pistons.

Desmond Bane and Paolo Banchero (12 pts, 6 reb, 5 ast) are trying to leave no doubt as they look to close out Detroit in Game 6.

May 1, 2026 / 8:28 ET

Cavs, Raptors battling in Game 6

Two ties and nine lead changes so far, but it’s Toronto with a 43-38 lead over Cleveland with 7:41 left in the first half.

Evan Mobley has 11 points to power the Cavs, while RJ Barrett and Scottie Barnes each have 12 points apiece for the Raptors.

May 1, 2026 / 8:21 ET

Harden keeps climbing

Congratulations to James Harden on another incredible career accomplishment!

May 1, 2026 / 8:19 ET

Magic dominate first half, lead 60-38

Desmond Bane (game-high 15 pts) and Paolo Banchero (10 pts, 4 reb, 4 ast) lead nine Magic players who have scored through 24 minutes of action. A 35-12 scoring advantage in the second quarter gives Orlando a 22-point edge.

Tobias Harris has 10 points (4-11 FG) and 3 rebounds as the only Piston in double figures scoring, followed by Cade Cunningham (8 pts, 1 reb, 1 ast) and Jalen Duren (6 pts, 6 reb). Detroit will have to dig deep in the second half if they hope to continue their season.

May 1, 2026 / 8:14 ET

Cavs, Raptors tied heading to 2Q

RJ Barrett (9 pts, 2 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl) and Scottie Barnes (8 pts, 5 ast) are doing work for Toronto as they battle to keep their season alive. The Cavs and Raptors are tied at 32 after one quarter of play.

Evan Mobley paces Cleveland with 8 points (2-2 FG, 4-4 FT), 4 boards and 2 dimes. The Cavs are out-rebounding the Raptors (14-5) and have 12 FTA compared to 2 for the home team.

May 1, 2026 / 8:03 ET

Magic cooking in 2Q

Desmond Bane has a game-high 15 points on 6-for-8 shooting and a perfect 3-for-3 from beyond the arc, helping Orlando take a 54-38 lead over Detroit with 2:31 left in the first half.

Tobias Harris has 10 points on 4-for-10 shooting to fuel the Pistons, who have been outscored 29-12 so far in the second quarter.

May 1, 2026 / 7:56 ET

Cavs-Raptors going back and forth

We’ve seen seven lead changes and one tie in Toronto, with the Raptors and Cavs tied at 18 with 5:13 left in the first quarter.

May 1, 2026 / 7:53 ET

Magic start 2Q strong

Orlando fires off a 15-2 run to begin the second quarter, and they’re outscoring Detroit 22-6 in the frame. The Magic have a 47-32 edge with 5:27 remaining before halftime.

May 1, 2026 / 7:37 ET

Detroit up 26-25 after 1Q

Tobias Harris (6 pts, 3 reb), Jalen Duren (6 pts on 3-3 FG) and Daniss Jenkins (5 pts, 1 ast) power the Pistons’ one-point lead as we head to the second quarter on Prime Video.

Desmond Bane and Tristan da Silva each have 5 points and one 3-pointer to lead Orlando.

May 1, 2026 / 7:20 ET

Pistons-Magic underway

Desmond Bane (3 pts, 2 reb, 1 stl) and Wendell Carter Jr. (4 pts) pace the Magic, while Tobias Harris leads Detroit with 5 points and 2 rebounds. Orlando has an early 11-10 advantage with 6:57 left in the opening quarter.

May 1, 2026 / 7:10 ET

Cleveland Cavaliers:

  • PG – James Harden (22.0 ppg, 6.2 apg, 2.0 spg)
  • SG – Donovan Mitchell (23.2 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 3.6 apg)
  • SF – Max Strus (10.8 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 1.6 apg)
  • PF – Evan Mobley (17.6 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 3.4 apg, 1.2 bpg)
  • C – Jarrett Allen (8.8 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 1.2 spg, 2.2 bpg)

The Cavs start with their two-big lineup, but with Toronto having more success with smaller lineups featuring Collin Murray-Boyles at the 5, Cleveland has countered with Sam Merrill, Dean Wade and Dennis Schröder off the bench.

Toronto Raptors:

  • PG – Jamal Shead (8.4 ppg, 4.4 apg, 1.8 spg)
  • SG – Ja’Kobe Walter (8.2 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 1.6 spg)
  • SF – RJ Barrett (24.4 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 3.8 apg)
  • PF – Scottie Barnes (24.0 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 8.0 apg, 1.6 bpg)
  • C – Jakob Poeltl (7.6 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 1.0 bpg)

The Raptors are without Brandon Ingram (heel) tonight, meaning the trio of Barnes, Barrett and Walter will have to do the heavy lifting on offense. Collin Murray-Boyles (15.2 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 1.0 spg) and Sandro Mamukelashvili (5.4 ppg, 6.2 rpg) are x-factors for Toronto’s second unit with their season on the line.

May 1, 2026 / 6:15 ET

Detroit Pistons:

  • PG – Cade Cunningham (32.6 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 7.0 apg)
  • SG – Duncan Robinson (9.6 ppg, 39.4 3P% on 6.6 3PA)
  • SF – Ausar Thompson (9.6 ppg, 9.4 rpg, 2.6 spg, 2.0 bpg)
  • PF – Tobias Harris (19.8 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 1.6 spg)
  • C – Jalen Duren (10.2 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 1.8 bpg)

The Pistons will deploy a solid bench unit headlined by Isaiah Stewart, Daniss Jenkins and Caris LeVert.

Orlando Magic:

  • PG – Jalen Suggs (13.0 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 3.6 apg, 1.6 spg)
  • SG – Desmond Bane (18.8 ppg, 43.2 3P% on 8.8 3PA, 5.4 rpg, 1.8 spg)
  • SF – Jamal Cain (4.8 ppg, 3.2 rpg)
  • PF – Paolo Banchero (25.8 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 6.4 apg, 1.6 spg)
  • C – Wendell Carter Jr. (11.0 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 3.2 apg, 1.8 bpg)

The Magic will insert Cain into the starting unit with Franz Wagner (calf) missing his second straight game. Expect Anthony Black and Tristan da Silva to see a bit more action as Orlando looks to advance to the semifinals.

May 1, 2026 / 6:00 ET

Tonight’s injury report

DET @ ORL — Tobias Harris (ankle) is available and Kevin Huerter (adductor) is out for the Pistons, while Franz Wagner (calf) and Jonathan Isaac (knee) are both out for the Magic.

CLE @ TOR — Brandon Ingram (heel) and Immanuel Quickley (hamstring) are out for the Raptors.

LAL @ HOU — Luka Dončić (hamstring) is out for tonight’s contest for the Lakers, while Kevin Durant (ankle) will miss his fourth straight and fifth overall for the Rockets.

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