Pistons even series 1–1
- Detroit evened its first‑round series 1–1 with Orlando, credited largely to Cade Cunningham's defense. (x.com) - Tobias Harris finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds, while Jalen Suggs scored 19 in that game. (x.com) - All eight first‑round NBA series are now underway, making those swings especially important for home‑court momentum. (cbssports.com)
Detroit beat Orlando 98-83 on Wednesday, April 22, to level its first-round series at 1-1 behind a defense-first response at Little Caesars Arena. (espn.com) Cade Cunningham led Detroit with 27 points, 11 assists and six rebounds, and the Pistons held the Magic to 16 points in the third quarter while winning that period 38-16. (espn.com) Tobias Harris added 16 points and 11 rebounds for Detroit, while Jalen Suggs scored 19 points for Orlando in a game that turned into a half-court grind. (espn.com) The result ended Detroit's 11-game home playoff losing streak, which The Associated Press described as the longest home skid in NBA postseason history. (cbsnews.com) That bounce-back mattered because Orlando had taken Game 1 in Detroit, 112-101, despite Cunningham's 39 points, immediately flipping home-court pressure onto the top seed. (usatoday.com) Detroit entered the playoffs as the No. 1 seed in the East after a 60-22 regular season, and Orlando arrived as the No. 8 seed after surviving the Play-In Tournament. (cbssports.com) The first round is now fully in motion across the league, with all eight best-of-seven series underway after the play-in field was cut from 20 teams to 16. (cbssports.com) For Detroit, the immediate shift was simple: one loss erased the cushion that comes with opening a series at home, and one win restored it before the matchup moves to Orlando. (espn.com) Game 3 will decide which team leaves the split with control, but Detroit's answer in Game 2 kept the series from turning into an early hole for the top seed. (cbssports.com)
