By: Jennifer Portee
4/25/2026
The Orlando Magic didn’t just escape Detroit they earned it the hard way.
Paolo Banchero and Desmond Bane each dropped 25 points, and Orlando blew a 17‑point lead in the fourth quarter before regrouping to beat the Pistons 113-105 and take a 2-1 lead in the Eastern Conference first‑round series. Game 4 is Monday night in Orlando, where the Magic get another chance to lock in at home, ride their crowd again, and put the Pistons in a must‑win spot.
Banchero didn’t just score he practically ran the offense. The 25 points came with 12 rebounds and nine assists, showing he’s more than just a scorer; he’s the heartbeat of this team. Franz Wagner added 17, Jalen Suggs chipped in 15, and Wendell Carter Jr. quietly put up 14 points and 17 rebounds, giving the Magic a well-rounded attack that Detroit never quite figured out.
The Pistons didn’t just watch this one slip away. They snatched it back.
Cade Cunningham had 27 points and led a wild run that turned a 96-79 deficit into a 103-100 lead within six minutes. Tobias Harris added 23, and for a stretch it felt like Detroit was the No. 1 seed, storming back with the kind of energy that can shift a series in one night.
“We’re looking forward to Monday, man,” Banchero said afterward, keeping it cool and confident like the Magic knew they’d get another shot, even if this one left them with a mess to clean up.
Then Orlando remembered who they were.
After Cunningham’s free throw with 2:52 left gave Detroit its first lead of the second half, the Magic answered with a 9-0 run to finish the game. The Pistons, who had clawed back from a 17‑point hole, couldn’t get one more stop. The Magic didn’t just win the game they won it playing Magic basketball.
“They’re a physical team, but our defense, our composure, our communication it’s all so important,” Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said.
There’s also a bigger story behind this win. The Magic are the 13th No. 8 seed since 1984 to hold a 2-1 series lead over a No. 1 seed. Of the 12 teams before them, five finished the upset: Miami in 2023, Philadelphia in 2012, Memphis in 2011, Golden State in 2007 and New York in 1999. Don’t forget Denver’s 8‑over‑1 shocker on Seattle in 1994, the first of its kind.
The Magic, who had to win an elimination game at home just over a week ago to escape the play‑in tournament, are now staring at the chance to become the next team on that list.
“You box with the bad guys, you get hit,” Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said, nodding to the physicality. “One game at a time. That’s what playoff series are. If we win on Monday, we take home‑court advantage back. Today’s game, we’ll learn from it, but it’s over with.”
By the second half, the game was as much about elbows and pushes as it was about points. Isaiah Stewart was in the middle of most of it, picking up a Flagrant 1 on Suggs in the second quarter and mixing it up with Orlando’s Goga Bitadze earlier in the game. Defensive Player of the Year finalist Ausar Thompson picked up a flagrant foul in the third after a hard tangle with Anthony Black.
“We have to trust ourselves and trust our team that we can guard without fouling,” Thompson said.
For the Magic, this wasn’t just about surviving a run. It was about proving they can lose a lead, still win the game, and sit one win away from something bigger than a surprise like a legit underdog run that the rest of the East will have to respect.