Orlando leads Pistons 3-1
- Orlando beat Detroit 94-88 in Game 4 on Monday night, putting the eighth-seeded Magic one win from eliminating the top-seeded Pistons. - Desmond Bane scored 22 points, Franz Wagner added 19 before leaving hurt, and Detroit committed 20 turnovers as Cade Cunningham had eight. - Orlando can close the series Wednesday in Detroit, chasing the franchise’s first playoff series win since 2010. (espn.com)
The Orlando Magic beat the Detroit Pistons 94-88 on Monday night and moved within one win of a first-round upset. (espn.com) Orlando, the East’s No. 8 seed, now leads the series 3-1 over Detroit, the conference’s No. 1 seed after a 60-22 regular season. Game 5 is Wednesday, April 29, in Detroit. (espn.com) (nba.com) Desmond Bane led Orlando with 22 points, Franz Wagner scored 19 in three quarters, and Paolo Banchero added 18 despite shooting 4-for-18. (espn.com) Detroit got 25 points from Cade Cunningham and 20 from Tobias Harris, but the Pistons turned the ball over 20 times. Cunningham had eight turnovers by himself. (espn.com) The game turned on possessions more than shooting. Orlando shot 32.6% from the field, and Jalen Suggs went 1-for-13, but the Magic finished with only 12 turnovers. (espn.com) Wagner left with 1:34 remaining in the third quarter because of right calf soreness, and reserve Jamal Cain helped hold the lead with two fourth-quarter dunks. (espn.com) Bane then banked in a three-pointer with 1:16 left to push Orlando’s lead to 92-86, the biggest late shot in a game that stayed tight into the final minute. (espn.com) The stakes are larger than one game. ESPN’s recap said Orlando is trying to win its first playoff series in 16 years, which would mark the franchise’s first since 2010. (espn.com) NBA.com’s playoff bracket listed Orlando as one of only two lower seeds in the East holding a 3-1 edge or tie on April 28, and the Magic are now the only No. 8 seed in either conference leading a series. (nba.com) If Orlando wins Game 5, Detroit’s 60-win season ends in the first round. If Detroit wins, the series returns to Orlando with the Pistons still needing two more victories. (espn.com)
