Orlando puts Pistons on brink

Orlando beat Detroit 94-88 on Monday, pushing the eighth-seeded Magic to a 3-1 lead and putting the top-seeded Pistons one loss from elimination. (espn.com) (nba.com) Desmond Bane led Orlando with 22 points and five 3-pointers, and Franz Wagner added 19 before leaving in the third quarter with right calf soreness. (espn.com) Paolo Banchero scored 18 points on 4-of-18 shooting, and Jalen Suggs went 1-for-13 from the field. Orlando still won by committing 12 turnovers to Detroit’s 20. (espn.com 1) (espn.com 2) Detroit got 25 points from Cade Cunningham and 20 from Tobias Harris, but Cunningham also had eight turnovers in the loss. (espn.com) The series opened with Orlando stealing Game 1 in Detroit, 112-101, before the Pistons answered with a 98-83 win in Game 2. Orlando then took control with a 113-105 win in Game 3 and Monday’s 94-88 result in Game 4. (nba.com 1) (nba.com 2) (nba.com 3) (nba.com 4) That puts Orlando on the verge of a rare first-round upset. NBA.com says the Magic can become the seventh No. 8 seed to beat a No. 1 seed, and ESPN’s recap said it would be Orlando’s first playoff series win in 16 years. (nba.com) (espn.com) Detroit won 60 games in the regular season and entered the bracket as the East’s top seed, while Orlando finished 45-37 and came through the play-in tournament. (espn.com) (nba.com) Game 5 is set for Wednesday, April 29, at 7 p.m. Eastern in Detroit on Prime Video. Game 6, if needed, is Friday, May 1, and Game 7, if needed, is Sunday, May 3. (nba.com 1) (nba.com 2) For Detroit, the path is now simple and narrow: win at home on April 29 or watch Orlando finish the upset. (nba.com) (nba.com)