Pistons vs Magic preview: Play to your strengths

We have a rock fight on our hands. The Detroit Pistons take their rugged, unhinged defense on the road to Orlando. They can take a 2-1 series lead if they swarm the Magic and get more from Jalen Duren.

Detroit and Orlando have both shown that this will be a cracked-knuckles, first-to-100-wins type series. That fits Detroit as long as they keep playing their brand of basketball. Third-quarter runs like Game 2 embody who Detroit is at its best. They get busy through their tenacious defense, not by outscoring you with snipers and spacers. Play to your strengths.

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Game vitals

Where: Kia Center, Orlando, Florida

When: 1:00 PM

Watch: Peacock

Odds: Pistons (-2.5)

Analysis

Being tied 1-1 with one of your All-Stars not super involved can be encouraging. While Duren’s production is being affected by the bodies he is drawing, Cade continues to show its levels to this basketball stuff.

Orlando has not “let” Cade do anything. Their entire game plan revolves around taking Cade’s dance partner out of the equation and getting under Cade with stout defenders like Jalen Suggs and Jamal Cain.

It has not worked. Duren has struggled being tagged and grabbed on every roll, but Cade has thrived in this phone booth coverage — middies, off the bounce attacks, off-hand slams in transitions. Cade is simply getting whatever he wants because he is that guy. 33 PPG is superstar stuff, and Cade can do even more if he makes his FTs (whole team has to tighten up there).

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In Duren’s case, trying to score over three camped-out defenders is not good process. Somebody is open there, so make the right read. But Duren has to take advantage of the limited one-on-one opportunities he has.

There is no way Wendell Carter Jr. should be bodying and clamping him up. Duren has to go into Carter’s chest instead of fading away from the rim when the opportunity is there.

That left-handed whack-a-mole slam in the third quarter over Jalen Suggs did not count, but that is the type of physicality Duren has to bring in this dog-fight matchup. Duren did tighten up some of his defensive mistakes. His rotations were more crisp than in…

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Publish date : 2026-04-25 13:45:00

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