Pistons Even Series
- The Detroit Pistons evened their first-round NBA playoff series 1-1 against the Orlando Magic, with Cade Cunningham standing out. - Tobias Harris posted 16 points, 11 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 blocks while Jalen Suggs scored 19 points in the game. - Game 3 is scheduled for Saturday at 1:00 p.m. ET as both teams head into a pivotal middle game of the series (x.com) (espn.com).
Detroit beat Orlando 98-83 on Wednesday night to tie the first-round series 1-1 behind Cade Cunningham’s 27 points and 11 assists. (espn.com) The Pistons took control with a 38-16 third quarter at Little Caesars Arena, turning a tied game into a 22-point lead. Detroit also ended what the Associated Press, via ESPN and NBA.com, described as the longest home playoff losing streak in National Basketball Association history. (nba.com) (espn.com) Tobias Harris finished with 16 points, 11 rebounds, two steals and two blocks for Detroit. Jalen Suggs led Orlando with 19 points in a game the Magic shot poorly enough to finish with 83 total. (espn.com) Detroit entered the playoffs as the East’s No. 1 seed after a 60-22 regular season, while Orlando came in as the No. 8 seed at 45-37. Orlando had opened the series with a 112-101 road win in Game 1 on April 19. (espn.com 1) (espn.com 2) That split changes the shape of the matchup before the series shifts to Florida. Instead of Orlando carrying a 2-0 lead home, the teams head to Game 3 even, with Detroit restoring home-court balance after dropping the opener. (nba.com) (espn.com) Cunningham’s line in Game 2 followed a Game 1 loss in which he scored early but Detroit could not slow Orlando’s offense late. Through two games, the series has turned on which team controls tempo after halftime: Orlando won the opener by 11, and Detroit answered with a 15-point win. (espn.com 1) (espn.com 2) Game 3 is scheduled for Saturday, April 25, at 1 p.m. Eastern in Orlando, with Game 4 set for Monday night there as well. The middle games now arrive with the series reset. (espn.com)
