Detroit Pistons Crush Orlando Magic In A Must-Win Game 2

The first half was a defensive struggle, with the score tied at 46 following the first 30 minutes of play. Cade Cunningham was the only Piston in rhythm early on, scoring nearly a third of Detroit’s first-half points with 15. The MVP candidate looks fully back to being himself now, after dealing with that collapsed lung he suffered back in mid-March.

The Pistons Exploded In The Third Quarter

Whatever was said in the locker room at halftime worked because Detroit annihilated Orlando in the third quarter. The Pistons outscored the Magic 38-16 in quarter three, which included a whopping 30-3 run. Cunningham scored just five of those 38 points, meaning the others stepped up their level of play.

Jalen Duren, Tobias Harris, Duncan Robinson, and Isaiah Stewart each had six points, while Ausar Thompson added another five. As play-by-play commentator Mike Breen alluded to during the broadcast, the Pistons were playing like the team that won 60 games during the third quarter. Although there was one more quarter left, the game felt over after three.

Lowest Scoring Output For The Magic All Year

The 83 points the Magic scored on Wednesday night marked their lowest output this season. Franz Wagner, Desmond Bane, and Wendell Carter shot a combined 7-28 from the field, as the Pistons smothered them all night. That lockdown defense sparked everything else for Detroit, which head coach J.B. Bickerstaff mentioned in his postgame press conference.

We just played defense. It’s that simple. When we play defense at the level we’re capable of, it triggers everything for us.

It looked like Detroit basketball of the past, forcing turnovers and locking down the paint. Pistons greats Isiah Thomas, Ben Wallace, and Richard Hamilton, who were all in attendance, would surely agree.

End Of My Detroit Pistons Rant

Game three will take place Saturday at 1 PM EST on NBC/Peacock in Orlando. Detroit split the road games in Orlando 1-1 during the regular season, but it was without Cunningham, Robinson, and Harris in the loss.

The Pistons should be able to take care of business, but they will need more consistent performances from others outside of Cunningham. Harris has been solid, averaging 16.5 points in the first two games, but you cannot expect the 15-year veteran to be the consistent option two for the rest of the series.

Duren should and has to be the player to elevate his game. Over the first two games of this series, he is averaging 9.5 points per game, which is 10 less than his regular-season mark. Duren made his first All-Star appearance this year, and he has to start playing like it. Detroit should at least be an Eastern Conference Finals team, but that will not happen if option two continues posting role player numbers.

The Pistons would likely face the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round, who may be playing their best basketball of the season. With the firepower they have between Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, and Evan Mobley, holding the Cavs below 90 points is doubtful. Cunningham will be Cunningham, but during playoff basketball, it has to be all hands on deck.