While Cade Cunningham delivered a heroic 45-point performance to keep the Detroit Pistons alive, it was a brief, eyebrow-raising exchange with a referee that has fans far more concerned than the final score. In the must-win Game 5 against the Orlando Magic, what should have been remembered as a duel between Cunningham and Paolo Banchero quickly took a controversial turn. The Pistons escaped with a crucial win to extend their season, powered by Cunningham’s relentless shot-making and leadership. But instead of the spotlight staying on his clutch performance, attention has shifted to that subtle, two-second moment- one now being dissected across social media and raising questions about how the game was officiated.

“I don’t want the season to end right now, so got to put it all on the line,” Cunningham said of his 45-point night.

The Pistons fans in the arena were elated to watch their franchise talisman go on a wild streak. There were many happy faces. However, one interaction between Cunningham and a referee is raising suspicions about this series. It was nothing major. While at the free-throw line, the referee went up to the Pistons’ point guard and appeared to share a light moment.

They bumped shoulders like friends often do. The slight nudge and their soft smiles made it look as if they were buddies. There wasn’t much to take from the game to raise eyebrows. Both teams got to the line with regularity. The only difference was that Detroit made most of its shots from the charity stripe. The Magic missed 14, including seven from Banchero, among other things, that was the fine margin where Orlando let the game slip away.

However, despite the hard-hitting reality, some fans weren’t pleased with the moment between Cunningham and the referee.

NBA fans call for action after Cade Cunningham’s friendly exchange

Over this past week of playoff games, fans have raised concerns over the quality of officiating. In this case, the whistle wasn’t the problem. “This is an acceptable exchange between player and official? Especially when the officiating was blatantly lopsided in Detroit’s favor. Unbelievable,” a fan wrote.

The free-throw disparity didn’t suggest any favoritism towards the Pistons. Detroit finished the game with five more free-throw attempts. However, fans did feel the officials allowed the Pistons to play with greater physicality. In particular, the first quarter saw the Pistons get to the line 14 times, while Orlando managed just 4. “Whole different type of home court advantage,” another fan added.

Technically, the Magic created a greater impact from the charity stripe after the first quarter. Yet, they never led in the contest. Still, fans didn’t appreciate an official openly approaching one of the rival players. “Does this mean he’ll get calls like Shai?” a fan wondered.

Fans’ sensitivity to perceived player-referee familiarity echoes historical controversies such as Draymond Green’s repeated fines and ejections for berating officials, and the 2007 Tim Donaghy betting scandal that exposed referee corruption.

Cade Cunningham kept the officials busy all night. He went a perfect 14/14 from the free-throw line. That was also the most attempts for a player in Game 5, leading Paolo Banchero’s 12 attempts. Considering Cunningham did most of his damage from the interior, his free-throw volume wasn’t odd.

But some fans are reading deeper into what they saw. “Shameful they even had us playing tonight. Could have risked another injury in a game where the fix was in from the jump,” an explosive comment read. Magic fans particularly felt this was the NBA’s way of possibly protecting a first-round upset.

The Pistons won 60 games in the regular season to finish on top of the East. Likewise, they are seen as title contenders for their physicality and talent pool. But the Magic stunned them in the first four games. They still found success in those aspects, specifically keeping Jalen Duren to another quiet night.

“Didn’t think we’d let yall lose in 5 did you?” Ahh league”, another fan wrote. It’s rare to see officials having a pleasant moment with players these days. Maybe that’s the reason Magic fans felt there was something fishy. However, the officiating was actually well-balanced and uniform in Game 5.

Orlando Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley wasn’t one to make excuses. He termed simple mistakes, such as free-throw misses, as things to clean up going forward. The Magic had the chance to close this series out had they not shot just 53.3% from the line.

The officials’ moment with Cade Cunningham didn’t look suspicious at all. He had compiled 37 points by the end of the third quarter. Maybe the referee was appreciating the kind of night the Pistons star was having. It was hard not to be amazed. The Pistons earned this win and have forced a Game 6. A tough task of winning on the road awaits them, and they’ll expect Cunningham to lead the charge again.