Detroit Pistons Drop Game 3, Fall Into 2-1 Hole Against Orlando Magic

After two days off, the Detroit Pistons headed down to Orlando for the third game in their first round playoff series against the Magic tied at one victory apiece, and both squads battled until the final shot on Saturday afternoon. 

In the fourth quarter, the Pistons worked hard to regain the lead at 105-104 with less than three minutes remaining in the game. From that point on, Paolo Banchero and the Magic worked the ball around and hit their shots to score the final eight points in what was a 113-105 win for Orlando. 

For the Magic, Desmond Bane finally broke out with a 25-point performance as the sharp-shooter proved his lethality from the perimeter with seven three-pointers on the night. Prior to game three, the Pistons had held Bane in check with two consecutive sub-20-point efforts, so it was only a matter of time before the Orlando guard got it going in the postseason. 

“That’s just him being himself,” Banchero said of Bane after the game. “He had two first slow games, and we know that’s not going to continue."

For the Pistons, Cade Cunningham posted 27 points, nine assists and five rebounds, but the All-Star guard was marred in terms of ball control all game long with nine critical turnovers. At times, Cunningham looked to make an emphatic, flashy play and forced the ball as a result, which played right into the Magic’s hand defensively. 

Cunningham worked to jumpstart Jalen Duren’s game three production by setting up a couple lob opportunities in the first quarter, but JD still left a lot of meat on the bone with eight points (3-for-10 FGs) and nine rebounds in the narrow postseason defeat. The Magic have been very successful at packing the paint and congesting the wiggle room to reduce the Pistons’ room to operate in the post, and Duren’s felt the brunt of that playoff adjustment with his single-digit production. 

But in Detroit’s favor, Tobias Harris turned in a clutch veteran performance with 23 points for the 15th-year forward out of Tennessee. Harris hit a pair of big three-pointers to keep the Pistons in a competitive matchup, but Detroit ultimately needed more to pull out a victory on the road. 

“We’ve got a lot of respect for those guys over there, but we know how we stack up,” Banchero said of the Pistons after the game. 

Though usually a player who earns defensive plaudits, Ausar Thompson stepped up with his most assertive offensive performance of the series. Thompson posted 17 points (7-for-10 FGs) to go along with eight rebounds and five assists on the night, which begs the question of where Ausar finds the energy to contribute five blocks and two more steals on defense. Thompson was used quite often as a distributor for the Pistons on Saturday to give Orlando a few different looks, but the Magic were able to stick to their plan for absorbing Detroit’s offensive attack. 

With the Pistons on the back foot heading into game four down 2-1 in the series, Detroit will need a strong response if they want to maintain a puncher’s chance at advancing in the playoffs. 

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