Poor shooting dooms Magic in Game 6 loss to Pistons

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Poor shooting dooms Magic in Game 6 loss to Pistons

Originally posted on NBA on ClutchPoints
By Richard Pereira, ClutchPoints | Last updated May 1, 2026 9:56 PM ET

The Orlando Magic suffered a brutal collapse that proved to be costly in the second half of Game 6 against the Detroit Pistons on Friday night.

Going into the game, Orlando has made significant noise after taking a 3-1 series lead against the top-seeded Pistons squad. Despite losing Game 5, Orlando had homecourt advantage for Game 6 and they enjoyed a good start to the matchup.

After a close 26-25 outing in the first quarter, Orlando boomed with a 35-12 performance in the second period to lead by double-digits at halftime. They were on pace for a solid closeout win, but disaster struck the in the second half.

“The Magic went 1-27 shooting over the final 16 minutes of tonight’s game, making 1-of-20 shots in the fourth quarter. The Magic led 60-38 at the half. The Magic led 70-54 with 4:14 left in the third. The Magic lost 93-79 in Game 6. An absolutely stunning, inexcusable loss,” NBA insider Brett Siegel wrote.

Magic shot 4-37 in the 2nd half. pic.twitter.com/VGBTgwqJ3f

— Micah Adams (@MAdamsStatGuy) May 2, 2026

How Magic played against Pistons

The Magic collapsed at the worst time possible, especially when they had the upper hand over the Pistons at halftime.

Orlando shut down on the offensive side of the ball, only scoring 19 points in the last 24 minutes of regulation. On top of that, their defense broke down as Detroit outscored them by 34 points throughout the second half.

Shotmaking and rebounding made the difference in this matchup. The Pistons prevailed in both categories by making 32 shots on a 40% clip and securing 52 rebounds. It wasn’t the same for the Magic as they converted 27 shots on 35% accuracy and grabbed 38 rebounds.

Three players scored in double-digits for Orlando in the loss. Paolo Banchero led the team with 17 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, and two steals. He shot 4-of-20 from the field, including 0-of-9 from beyond the arc, and 9-of-12 from the free-throw line. Desmond Bane came next with 17 points and three rebounds, while Tristan da Silva provided 10 points and six rebounds.

The Magic will fight to keep their season alive when they face the Pistons on the road in Game 7. The contest will take place on May 3.

This article first appeared on NBA on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

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