Pistons' Cade Cunningham did what even the 'Bad Boys' era of players couldn't

When the Detroit Pistons come to mind, many people instantly think of the "Bad Boys" era of the late 1980s and early 1990s, with players like Isiah Thomas, Bill Laimbeer, Joe Dumars and Dennis Rodman playing a physical style of basketball that was hard to top.

Teams feared going up against the "Bad Boys," and for good reason. These guys, after all, were the villains of the NBA.

But current Pistons star Cade Cunningham has just done something that even the players in that "Bad Boys" era couldn't accomplish.

Pistons' Cade Cunningham makes history against Magic

On Wednesday, Cunningham helped lead the Pistons to a 116-109 victory in the team's must-win first-round game against the Orlando Magic.

During that game, Cunningham made franchise history with the most total points in a playoff game in this history of the Pistons, finishing with 45 points on the night.

It was a dramatic performance that saved Detroit from playoff elimination. In 44 minutes on the court, Cunningham was 13-for-23 shooting, 5-for-8 on 3-pointers and 14-for-14 on free throws. He also notched five assists and four rebounds.

"Just never die mentality," Cunningham said after the win, according to Sports Illustrated. "Just wanted to have controlled aggression all night. I don't want this season to end, so I've got to put it all on the line."

Orlando's Paolo Banchero also had 45 points during the team's loss.

Regarding his scoring fight with Banchero, Cunningham said, "I'm sure it was a great game. I hope the fans enjoyed it, but it was a great win for us. That's what we needed."

So, Cunningham is decades removed from the "Bad Boys" era, but he's proving that on the court that he may have that lineage.

Detroit has forced a Game 6, but it's still trailing in the series, 3-2.