After a rough road trip down in Orlando for the last two games, the Detroit Pistons return to Motown tonight for a vital game five matchup against the Magic. The Pistons are in a win-or-go-home scenario in a 3-1 deficit, so Detroit needs to defend their home court tonight if they’d like to prolong their so far brief time in the postseason. 

During game four, Magic forward Franz Wagner was exceedingly successful at using his wingspan and aggressiveness to force Pistons point guard Cade Cunningham into turnovers in the first quarter. Wagner helped set a disruptive tone for a Magic squad that forced Cunningham into eight turnovers on the night, but the Michigan product might not be healthy enough to suit up for tonight’s contest. 

During the third quarter, Wagner was taken out of the Pistons’ 94-88 loss on Monday night with a right calf strain and did not return in the game. Yesterday, the Magic announced that Wagner would undergo treatment for his injury during the off day on Tuesday but that his status for game five would be dependent on how well the forward takes to the rehab. 

When Cunningham went up against Magic defenders other than Wagner in the fourth quarter of game for such as Jamal Cain and Paolo Banchero, the Detroit floor general still found it difficult to create for a Pistons team that lodged just 36 points after halftime. So, the Magic defense has pushed Detroit so far away from their trademark two-man game with Cunningham and Jalen Duren that the Pistons might be out of answers heading into game five. 

In addition to Wagner’s questionable status, the Magic are also monitoring Jonathan Isaac in the leadup to tonight’s playoff tilt. All series long, the forward has oscillated between doubtful and out with a left knee sprain, and that’s precisely where he’s at leading into game five. 

On the Pistons’ side of the matchup, Kevin Huerter is working through a left adductor strain that’s been bothering him for multiple days. Prior to game four, Huerter was listed as questionable with left hip soreness, though the veteran perimeter threat was able to push through just three minutes when the matchup rolled around. 

After Detroit fell into a 3-1 hole on Monday night, Pistons forward Tobias Harris spoke candidly about the dire straits that his team finds themselves in at the moment.

“Clearly a must-win game,” Harris said after game four. “Really, we went into this series saying we need to win a possession game, when it came down to rebounding battle and also taking care of the basketball, and in all of our losses those are where we haven’t been able to be at our best at. So, I just think if we start just there with those two as probably the most important, then from there just figuring out how we can limit some of the things they’ve been doing well. Obviously, give credit, they’re making shots. At the same time, a lot of that has come from some of our defensive lapses out there on the floor, and we’ve got to do a better job.”

Given Duren’s absence as Detroit’s true secondary scorer through four games of the series, Harris has chipped in mightily with near 20-point production on a game-by-game basis against the Magic. But the Pistons need JD to produce like his regular season self in order to challenge Orlando in the paint and solidify their presence down low. So far, Detroit has been woefully outmatched during low post battles due to the Magic’s drop coverage, so it remains to be seen if the Pistons have an answer with their playoff lives on the line. 

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