The Detroit Pistons took care of business at home on Thursday, with Cade Cunningham delivering a franchise-best 45 points to lead the team to a 116-109 victory. However, the Pistons are still down 3-2 and are still just one more loss away from becoming on the seventh top seed in NBA history to lose to an eighth seed in the first round. Yes it’s rare that the No. 1 team in a conference loses to the No. 8 team, but that’s exactly the kind of history Detroit is still facing after getting into a 1-3 hole against a suddenly formidable and inspired Magic.
Game 6 of this surprising but certainly entertaining series is on Saturday in Florida, and expect the Magic to go all-out to send the Pistons into the realm of ignominy as the seventh top seed to fall right in the very first round. If Cunningham and the rest of the Pistons can’t complete the comeback, they will be joining these teams:
1. Denver Nuggets Stun Seattle SuperSonics (1994)
The 1993–94 Nuggets were a collection of underrated NBA talents—Dikembe Mutombo, Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, and LaPhonso Ellis. Despite finishing 21 games behind a formidable Seattle team led by Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp, Denver managed to shock the Sonics in a best-of-five series.
Although they did not advance far in the West, it was still a memorable Cinderella story for Denver.
2. New York Knicks Upset Miami Heat (1999)
Before the 2023 Miami Heat did it, the 1998-99 New York Knicks became the first No.8 seed to reach the Finals.
Although it was a lockout season and beating Miami in the first round was not entirely surprising, what followed was remarkable. Patrick Ewing led the Knicks past the Hawks in the second round and then past the Pacers in the Conference Finals. Unfortunately, their run ended when Ewing was injured in the Finals, and the Knicks have not returned to that stage in the three decades since.
3. Golden State Warriors Break the Heart of Dallas Mavericks (2007)
Nobody expected a 67-15 Mavericks team, led by Dirk Nowitzki—who would win MVP weeks later—to fall in six games against an eighth-seeded Warriors squad filled with non-All-Star veterans.
The “We Believe” Warriors, featuring Baron Davis, Jason Richardson, and Stephen Jackson, became one of the most unforgettable teams to ever upset a No.1 seed.
4. Memphis Grizzlies Stop San Antonio Spurs (2011)
The “Grit and Grind” Grizzlies were already establishing their identity in the early 2010s. As a defensively minded team, it was not a complete shock that they eliminated the Spurs, even with Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker still in their prime.
5. Philadelphia 76ers Shock Chicago Bulls (2012)
This series would have turned out very differently had 2011 MVP Derrick Rose not torn his ACL.
Rose was too valuable for the Bulls, who were considered the perfect counter to LeBron James and the Miami Heat dynasty. Unfortunately, like Rose’s career, that playoff series remains another “what if.”
6. Miami Heat Knock Off Milwaukee Bucks (2023)
Remember when the No.8 seed Miami Heat, led by Jimmy Butler, nearly defied all odds and reached the NBA Finals?
That happened just three years ago, beginning with their upset of Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Bucks in the first round. It was an enormous display of willpower from Miami throughout their Eastern Conference run, only to fall 4-1 against the Nuggets in the Finals.
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The Pistons will try to avoid joining this infamous list on Saturday, when they take on the Magic on the road. Should the Pistons win, they will look to complete the comeback at home on Monday.
