Orlando takes over in clutch, closes game on 9-0 run to beat Detroit, take 2-1 series lead

What kind of game was it for Orlando? This kind.

It wasn’t just lucky bounces for the Magic. It was a focused defensive effort on Cade Cunningham, holding the All-Star and heart of the Pistons to 8-of-23 shooting with nine turnovers. It was Desmond Bane setting a Magic record with seven 3-pointers in a playoff game. It was Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero stepping up with clutch buckets.

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After Detroit had all the momentum, coming from 13 down in the fourth quarter to take a one-point lead at 105-104, Orlando closed the game on a 9-0 run in front of their home crowd.

The result was a 113-104 Magic win, putting them up 2-1 in their first-round series against the No. 1-seeded Pistons. Game 4 is Monday night, in Orlando, a contest you can watch on Peacock.

Coming into the playoffs, the question in Detroit was “who is going to be the second scorer after Cade Cunningham? Three games into the postseason we still don’t have that answer..

Orlando did their best defensive work in the series on Saturday, doubling up on Cunningham, throwing different (and fresh) defenders at him all game. It slowed him, forcing him to turn the ball over nine times, tying a Detroit playoff record. Nobody else really stepped up as a secondary playmaker (Daniss Jenkins got just seven minutes off the bench).

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Tobias Harris stepped up with 23 points on 8-of-16 shooting and some key plays. Jalen Duran had five blocks and was a defensive force, but he had eight points on 3-of-10 shooting before fouling out.

While the Orlando highlights will focus on Desmond Bane and his 25 points and seven 3-pointers, or on Banchero and his 25, don’t sleep on Wendell Carter Jr. — he was key to this win. It wasn’t Carter’s 14 points or eight rebounds — although he scored nine points on second-chance buckets that were huge — it was his defense. His ability to switch, to guard multiple positions and protect the rim, was critical in how the Magic defended Cunningham.

On the other end, Detroit did a poor job of containing Orlando’s drivers much of the night.

This was a close game much of the way. It was tied 26-26 after one quarter, although it…

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Publish date : 2026-04-25 20:51:00

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