Ausar Thompson: Detroit Pistons Keep Title Ambitions Despite Game 1 Loss

With the Detroit Pistons off to an 0-1 start in their first round matchup against the Orlando Magic, the response from the Eastern Conference’s top squad on Wednesday will be crucial in determining their shelf life in the postseason. 

Unlike last year’s first round exit, the Pistons have entered the playoffs this time around with considerable expectations as the top seed. Detroit went wire-to-wire atop the East during the 2025-26 campaign, but in game one the Magic were able to see through that lofty resume while attacking the paint with Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero to deliver a 112-101 loss to the Pistons. 

“No matter what seed I am, I’m trying to win a championship,” Pistons forward Ausar Thomson said after the game. “Whether I’m a one seed, 10 seed, eight seed, doesn’t matter to me. So, no nerves on my end, at least in that regard.”

During the second half of their playoff opener, Detroit hit a series of three-pointers to tie the game at 65 points apiece with seven minutes remaining in the third quarter, but the Magic relied on Banchero and Wagner to pull away from that point on. Wagner finished the game with 19 points, most of which were in the fourth, and Orlando was able to push the Pistons to an 11th consecutive playoff loss at home despite a 39-point outing from Cade Cunningham. 

“They came out and hit us first so we’ve got to do a better job of coming out and hitting them first, executing our coverages better,” Thompson said.

Thompson logged 25 minutes against the Magic in game one, but the majority of that burn came early on as Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff opted for a more threatening offensive lineup in the second half. Thompson, who was named a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year before tip-off, hardly factored into the rotation down the stretch after accumulating three steals earlier in the game. 

But all season long, Thompson has served as an influential game-breaker for the Pistons to deploy on the defensive end, one that can force turnovers and help spark quick transition offense going the other way. Thompson has the rare ability to send opposing ball handlers into a Groundhog Day scenario of one nightmarish possession after the next, but Thompson and Isaiah Stewart, another defensive stalwart, played just 15 minutes in the second half against Orlando during vital moments where the Pistons could have used an extra stopper to slow down Wagner. 

“It’s going to be a physical series,” Thompson said. “You know, that’s where we thrive, so we’re not worried about that. But I would say they out-physicaled us today. One, because they got more rebounds than us. They forced more turnovers, so then they won the game so I can’t say we out-physicaled them today, but you know, we’re used to the playoff whistle now. We’re going to come back, and we’ll do what we have to do.”

As Thompson alluded to, the Pistons actually shot twice as many free throws as the Magic on Sunday, which is particularly notable considering Orlando ranked No. 1 in charity stripe attempts per game during the regular season. But even with a more sensitive whistle helping the cause, Thompson stressed that the Pistons need to play within themselves so that small deficits don’t balloon into large holes in the playoffs.

“I would say we’ve just got to take every play, just that play at the time, not worrying about scoring 10 points in one possession and just do what we’re supposed to do each possession and we’ll get back in the game,” Thompson said. 

Although Thompson is beginning his second postseason run during just his third year as a pro, the defensive menace is keeping a wise approach as the Pistons look to climb back to even footing with the Magic when the two first round foes square off on Wednesday, April 22 at 7 pm inside the confines of Little Caesars Arena. 

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