Pistons finish comeback for first playoff series win in 18 years: 'It means a lot'

"It means a lot. I'm excited for the fans, I'm excited to be a part of this group. I feel like we have a special group of guys who work hard, believe in each other, love each other," Ausar Thompson said. "This means a lot, not just us, but for the fans, for Detroit. I'm excited to be a part of it."

The series didn't start off on the right note for the fans. A Game 1 loss extended an NBA-record 11 straight home playoff losing streak for the Pistons, but that streak was broken in a Game 2 victory. The Pistons suffered road losses in Game 3 and Game 4 to be pushed to the brink of elimination, but they won three straight, with two of those coming at home.

Every Game 7 has a player that exceeds expectations to give his team a spark. For the Pistons, it was Daniss Jenkins, who came into the season as a two-way player but flourished throughout. He shined in Cunningham's absence, but he had trouble finding his shot through the first six games of this series.

That all changed Sunday. Jenkins played 29 minutes off the bench and shined with 16 points, going 4-for-5 from 3-point range. He also had a Game 7 moment, beating the third-quarter buzzer with a 3 to give the Pistons a 19-point lead and sending Little Caesars Arena into a frenzy.

"I've been doing special things all year, this group has been doing special things all year, and we did special things last year. So we all special, and we just legendary, and we wanted to keep going. We don't want it to stop," Jenkins said.

"It's been fun, just to be a part of it. It means everything for us to keep being legendary. We get a chance to write our name in history and Detroit history forever, so we're trying to keep it going, whatever it takes."

The Pistons await their second-round opponent, which would either be the Toronto Raptors or the Cleveland Cavaliers. But either way, Game 1 will be in Detroit, where fans hope this special season continues.

"The city has gotten more more excited about this team, and we feel the love and all that, so we want to perform. To figure it out and to come back from 3-1, odds against us, and to come back and win it at home, it feels good," Cunningham said. "It feels really good, and we're excited for what's to come. We'll continue to represent this city in the right light, but also win games, win series, and the ultimate goal is a championship."

Kameron Goodwill is a freelance writer.

This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Detroit Pistons finish comeback for first playoff series win in 18 years