ORLANDO — As a native of Pontiac, Mich., Orlando Magic forward Jamal Cain was a fan of the Detroit Pistons growing up.

Long before his NBA days, Cain would spend time with his grandfather playing the NBA 2K video game franchise, and his go-to team would be the one that represented his home state.

“I would pick the Pistons every time, and I would shoot every time with Chauncey Billups,” Cain said.

On Monday, Cain’s performance against the very team he grew up watching would be a catalyst for the Orlando Magic’s 94-88 win over the Pistons to give them a commanding 3-1 lead in the first round of the playoffs.

In the win, Cain was compelled to meet the moment after Franz Wagner exited late in the third quarter with tightness in his right calf. Wagner would not return, and it was on Cain to make the most of his minutes.

He did.

Cain played in 23 minutes in Monday’s win, which led the reserve unit in time on the court. In those minutes, he scored eight points and secured nine rebounds, three of which came on the offensive end, and his night was highlighted by a powerful transition slam over Pistons center Jalen Duren that became the highlight of the evening across social media.

Cain produced the most significant performance of his career against the team he picked every time as a kid playing video games with his grandfather, and a team that his family still pours their fandom into.

“I mean, I put some of my friends and family in a tough spot because they've been ride-or-die Pistons fans,” Cain said. “But, I mean, it's definitely a special moment, especially going back to Detroit and having my whole family come out to watch me play, especially in the playoff.”

Cain’s full-circle moment will be magnified yet again when the Magic visit the Pistons for a decisive Game 5 on Wednesday. A win for Orlando would secure the first playoff series win since 2010, and it would feature Cain being a part of that effort in front of his family and friends to take down the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.

“I mean, words can't describe how I feel, honestly,” Cain said.

Cain’s performance on Monday, especially his poster-worthy slam, embodies the type of gritty and tenacious work ethic that has propelled him from being undrafted in 2022 to becoming an integral role player on a Magic team that has flipped the script on what seemed to be a doomed season less than two weeks ago.

“The way he appreciates his opportunity, the chance that he gets to do this, not as it being a right,” Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said. “And so, his ability to go out there and play all out every single night, doing all the little things because he knows he can't take that for granted.”

Cain’s impact in a tightly contested and crucial Game 4, especially when Wagner needed to exit, is something his teammates notice as well.

“I mean, I think he's playing huge for us,” guard Desmond Bane said after Monday's win. “I mean, he played 24 minutes tonight and closed the game in an NBA playoff game. You know, I mean, that's something that you can't take for granted and something that will be huge for him and his career moving forward. 

“So, I'm very happy with the way he's playing, and I think he's still got, you know, another gear to him and another level to reach.”

From going undrafted, to having his two-way contract converted in March to impacting crucial postseason moments, Cain continues to climb the proverbial ladder, but he is not satisfied.

“It means a lot,” Cain said about his performance. “But I still feel like I have a lot to work on. Obviously, I'm blessed and thankful that I'm playing right now in such a big moment, but I don't want to get too happy. You know what I mean? 

“I really haven't done anything. So, like I said, I just still have a lot to work on.”

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