The Detroit Pistons need to win game five against the Orlando Magic at home if they hope to advance out of the first round
Earlier today, the Orlando Magic announced that forward Franz Wagner’s status for game five in Detroit is up in the air as a result of the Michigan product’s right calf strain. Wagner injured his calf during the third quarter of the Detroit Pistons’ 94-88 loss on Monday night, which titled the series in the Magic’s favor at 3-1.
So far, Wagner has been one of the main reasons why Orlando has been so successful at disrupting Cade Cunningham’s ability to set up the Pistons’ offense. During game four, Wagner forced Cunningham into a slew of errant passes and turnovers in the first quarter, and the German’s rangy wingspan plagued Cade’s playmaking ability all night long. In fact, the eight turnovers from Cunningham last night produced a new NBA Playoff three-game turnover record for the Detroit floor general, which is a clear indication of how impactful Orlando’s defense has been.
But with the news of Wagner’s injury, the Pistons could have another chance to fight their way back into the series with game five taking place in the Motor City. Once Wagner exited the third quarter of Monday’s contest, the Magic deployed Jamal Cain, a former two-way player, to pester Cunningham around the court during the final period. Cain picked up right where Wagner left off with some physical defense on the All-Star starter, and the Pistons finished with just 36 points in the second half of their six-point loss in game four.
Overall, the Magic have done a better job at capitalizing on mismatches during their first round series with the Pistons. Too often last night, Cunningham would accept a pick before heading downhill to the paint where both Paolo Banchero and Wendell Carter Jr. were waiting in drop coverage to pick up the All-Pro point guard and contest his shot. And with the refs calling a tighter, more physical style of basketball in the playoffs, Cunningham had a difficult time fighting through that contact at the rim while simultaneously being unable to find his reliable, efficient big man Jalen Duren for a drop-off or lob. As a result, the Pistons’ two-man game through JD and Cade has looked remarkably dissimilar from how effective the dynamic duo looked during the regular season.
“They’re sending a lot of bodies to him and we’ve got to help him by giving him more space so that he has room to operate,” Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said after Monday's game. “Set screens for him, be a little more physical, get the guys off him, but again, we’ve got to do a better job of taking care of it.”
At the moment, the Pistons are entering a precarious predicament in game five as a must-win playoff contest against a Magic squad that’s dominated in several key areas throughout the series, such as ball control. On top of Detroit’s carelessness with the rock, Orlando has fought for offensive rebounds to generate all the extra possessions they need, which is concerning for a Pistons group that took pride in cleaning the boards during the regular season.
Tomorrow night's game is set for a 7 pm tip-off at Little Caesars Arena.
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