Several fans put Cade Cunningham on blast for his disappearing act after halftime of Game 7 against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Cunningham was the lone player in double figures after two quarters in the deciding game of the Eastern Conference semifinals clash at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Mich. The Pistons star tallied 12 points, and his team needed far more from him as they trailed 64-47 at halftime.
Cunningham, however, would not give his team much more in the second half. He did not score a single field goal the rest of the way, going 0/6 from the field. The only point he scored came after a technical foul was called on Cavaliers forward Max Strus.
Fans let Cade hear it after the Pistons got embarrassed in a 124-95 drubbing — a loss that had some fans calling Detroit the worst No. 1 seed ever.
Cade Cunningham is going to have an excellent career. Had one hell of a season.
— Sean Murphy (@seanhalfcourt) May 18, 2026
It is unacceptable to have zero points in the second half of a game seven.
Cade Cunningham got 1 point in the second half, of a game 7 at the crib.
— Wolves Slam 🐺🐜 (@WolvesSlam) May 18, 2026
13 points in the game, with the worst +/- (-32) and 0/7 from three.
Overrated? pic.twitter.com/Kvxio2lZUz
Cade Cunningham stole 2 MVP votes and he has not scored in the second half
— ICEMAN🧊 (@isaiahdaboy) May 18, 2026
Lmfao cade Cunningham did not score at all in the second half of a game 7. Don’t ever wanna hear how good he is.
— Noel C (@ThereIsNoel) May 18, 2026
“That game sucked,” Cunningham told reporters in his final press conference. “Being back home, definitely wanted to get this win in front of the fans. Reminded me of last year, losing on home court. It’s not a great feeling.”
“I hadn’t been thinking about the offseason. So my mind’s been racing now, trying to figure out what I’ve got to do, what it’s going to look like.”
Cunningham had a banner year as the best player on the East’s No. 1 seed, averaging 23.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 9.9 assists. He earned another All-Star berth, received a few MVP votes, and is likely to be named to an All-NBA team for a second consecutive season.
However, Cade has yet to turn his regular-season accolades into the type of postseason success commensurate of a true contender.
