The Detroit Pistons pulled off a stunning 24-point comeback against the Orlando Magic on Friday, securing a 93-79 win and forcing a Game 7.
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The first quarter was the closest battle as both squads put up solid efficiency numbers in the opening frame. Both Paolo Banchero and Cade Cunningham were quiet early on, but the supporting casts for both sides made up for it.
After a competitive opening, the Pistons led 26-25.
The second quarter was a very different story. The Magic immediately came out firing on all cylinders in the second quarter. Not only was their offense in a rhythm, their defense completely halted any offensive momentum that Detroit had.
The Pistons made just six of their 21 shot attempts in thee second quarter as they were outscored 35-12.
But the second half saw a complete momentum shift in favor of Detroit. Duncan Robinson helped the Pistons come alive in the second half and storm back into the game.
Banchero and the Magic went completely cold in the third quarter, a sign of things to come. As the fourth quarter approached, shots stopped falling entirely.
From the end of the third quarter and through the first 10 minutes of the fourth, Orlando missed 23 consecutive field goal attempts.
Orlando’s offense couldn’t possibly get worse and Detroit took advantage of it. Cade Cunningham erupted in the fourth quarter after being relatively quiet for most of the game.
After being down by as many as 24 points, the Pistons led by 11 with two minutes left to play.
The Magic never really got any offense going for the entire second half and the Pistons came away with the win.
Cunningham finished with 32 points, 10 rebounds and four steals while Tobias Harris put up 22 points and 10 rebounds.
For the Magic, Banchero had 17 points, 10 rebounds and six assists as Desmond Bane also finished with 17 points.
The series will now head back to Detroit for a winner-takes-all Game 7.
James Parker is a sports writer for Ball Exclusives, follow him on X @TheJames_Parker
