Cunningham scores 45, Pistons beat Magic to avoid elimination

DETROIT (AP) - Cade Cunningham scored a franchise playoff-record 45 points, including a step-back jumper with 32 seconds left, and the top-seeded Detroit Pistons beat the eighth-seeded Orlando Magic 116-109 on Wednesday night in Game 5 of their first-round series to stave off elimination.

Orlando leads the series 3-2 and will get a second chance to advance at home on Friday night.

The Magic fell to 0-10 in franchise history on the road in a Game 5.

Detroit never trailed and went ahead by 15 early in the final quarter. The Magic made one more run, pulling within three points on Paolo Banchero's sixth 3-pointer with 1:09 left. Banchero matched Cunningham with 45 points, also a playoff career-high - and missed 7 of 12 free throws.

CAVALIERS 125, RAPTORS 120

CLEVELAND (AP) - Dennis Schroder scored 11 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter, Evan Mobley hit a pair of pivotal 3-pointers in the final period and finished with 23 points, and Cleveland rallied for a victory over Toronto in Game 5 of their first-round series.

Cleveland leads the series 3-2. Game 6 is Friday night in Toronto.

James Harden scored 23 points and Donovan Mitchell added 19 for the Cavaliers.

RJ Barrett led Toronto with 25 points while Ja'Kobe Walter added 20 and Jamal Shead had 18 off the bench. All-star forward Brandon Ingram left the game in the second quarter with right heel inflammation.

ROCKETS 99, LAKERS 93

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Jabari Smith Jr. scored 22 points, Tari Eason added 18 and Houston avoided playoff elimination for the second straight game with a victory over the Lakers in Game 5, trimming Los Angeles' lead in the first-round series to 3-2.

Alperen Sengun had 14 points, nine rebounds and eight assists for the fifth-seeded Rockets, who sent the series back to Houston for Game 6 on Friday night with a gritty performance to overcome Austin Reaves' return to the Lakers.

Houston has won two straight even without top scorer Kevin Durant, who has missed four of the series' five games with injuries.

No team has ever recovered from an 0-3 deficit to win an NBA playoff series, but the Rockets are halfway. Only four of the 159 teams to start a series down 0-3 have ever even forced a Game 7.

LeBron James scored 17 of his 25 points in the second half and added seven assists, but Los Angeles lost its second straight after stealing Game 3 with an improbable rally in the final seconds of regulation.