Orlando Magic's historic collapse sets up Game 7 playoff heartbreak.
There is fame and then there is infamy. The Orlando Magic are now firmly etched into the NBA’s history books for the latter.
In their Game 6 meltdown against the No. 1 seed Detroit Pistons, the Magic started strong in the first half, but completely fell off in the second.
For an in-depth look at the Magic’s miserable night, Magic Roundtable writer Dan Strouble has the details.
This week of NBA playoff basketball has seen its fair share of history. The New York Knicks logged a 51-point victory against the Atlanta Hawks just the night before. But the Magic’s latest performance will be the talk of the basketball weekend.
Orlando led Detroit by 24 points before going completely cold from the floor, missing a historic 23 consecutive field goals. Orlando was outscored 55-19 in the second half by the Pistons, led by guard Cade Cunningham.
Cunningham single-handled outscored the Magic’s second-half effort by putting up 32 points on the night, with 19 in the fourth quarter. That same quarter, Orlando only logged eight points.
It was the first time in the shot clock era that a team led by 20 or more points in the first half, but failed to score 20 in the second.
It was a horrific night for the Magic, who had a chance to win their first playoff series in 16 years at home. They’ll now travel back to Detroit for a decisive Game 7.
The Magic once held a 3-1 lead in this series and have failed to clinch their opportunity to get to the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
At this point, even if they do find a way to advance past the opening round, there will be a lot of questions about the team’s ability to advance much further.