Orlando Magic Topple No. 1 Seed Pistons, Take 3-1 Series Lead The Orlando Magic extended their playoff series lead with a 94-88 victory over the No. 1 seeded Detroit Pistons on Monday night, securing a 3-1 series advantage in the Eastern Conference playoffs. The win, achieved by the No. 8 seed Magic, marks their first playoff series win in 16 years and places the team on the brink of eliminating a top-ranked opponent. Game 5 is scheduled for Wednesday night in Detroit. Desmond Bane scored 22 points, Franz Wagner contributed 19 in three quarters, and the Magic’s defensive effort helped them overcome a poor shooting performance. Orlando shot 32.6% from the field, with Paolo Banchero managing 18 points on 4-of-18 shooting and Jalen Suggs struggling to find his rhythm, going 1 for 13, including 1 for 11 from beyond the arc. The Magic limited Detroit to 20 turnovers, compared to their own 12, which proved critical to the outcome. Cade Cunningham led the Pistons with 25 points, and Tobias Harris added 20. Cunningham had eight turnovers, while Harris acknowledged the team’s struggles with ball security. “We went into the series saying we needed to win a possession game,” Harris said. “That came down to the rebounding battle and also taking care of the basketball.” Wagner left the game with 1:34 remaining in the third quarter due to a right calf injury. Jamal Cain replaced him and electrified the crowd with a driving dunk over Jalen Duren early in the fourth quarter. Cain also had a one-handed tip-in dunk that made it 87-85 with 4:55 to go. Suggs missed his first eight shots before hitting a corner 3-pointer for an 85-80 lead. Ausar Thompson’s layup tied the game before Cain’s putback restored the lead. Bane sealed the victory with a 3-pointer to extend Orlando’s lead to 92-86 with 1:16 remaining.#desmond_bane #orlando_magic #detroit_pistons #franz_wagner #jamal_cain
