The Orlando Magic were competitive early in Sunday’s Game 7 despite playing without Franz Wagner. But the Detroit Pistons turned up the heat in the second quarter to spark a 116-94 win and secure their first playoff series win since advancing to the Eastern Conference finals in 2008.
Tobias Harris scored 17 of his 30 points in the second quarter as the Pistons closed the first half on a 20-6 run. From there, the second half served as a party in Detroit as the Pistons never relinquished control.
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With the win, the Pistons advance to the second round of the playoffs and avoid the ignominious history of becoming the seventh NBA team to lose a first-round series as a No. 1 seed to a No. 8 seed. It’s a prospect that looked like a long shot at best after the Magic dazed the Pistons with a 3-1 series lead.
Magic can’t recover from Game 6 collapse
The Magic looked ready to celebrate the series upset on their home court in Game 6 on Friday as they extended a 60-38 halftime lead to 24 points in the third quarter. But Orlando’s offense went stunningly silent from there.
The Magic missed 23 consecutive consecutive second-half field goals and shot 1 of 20 from the field in the fourth quarter. The result was the lowest-scoring half by a team in NBA playoff history as the Magic mustered just 19 points and allowed the Pistons to rally for a 93-79 win.
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That win extended the series and allowed the Pistons to return home Sunday, where they closed out the series with relative ease. Cade Cunningham led the way for Detroit with 32 points and 12 assists while shooting 10 of 18 from the field and 4 of 6 from 3. He was also tasked for much of the game with defending Orlando’s No. 1 option, Paolo Banchero.
Harris, Duren step up to support Cunningham
A Pistons team that’s frequently struggled to find shot creation outside of Cunningham got what it needed from Harris with his fifth straight 20-plus point effort in the series. Harris’ second-quarter outburst set the tone for the remainder of the game, and he finished with 30 points, 8 rebounds and 3 steals while shooting 11 of 18 from the field and 5 of 7 from 3.
Harris closed the series with 23, 22 and now 30 points as the Pistons faced and survived elimination in three consecutive games. His effort on Sunday led a 16-of-33 effort from 3 that paced Detroit’s offense.
“Nobody can say s*** to me about Tobias,” Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said postgame. “He’s dependable, reliable, prepared for the moment.”
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Jalen Duren was again a presence in the post with 15 points and 15 rebounds. The first-time All-Star who averaged 10.5 rebounds in the regular season cracked double-digits in rebounds for the first time in the series.
The Pistons advance to face the winner of Sunday night’s Game 7 between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Toronto Raptors. The Magic, meanwhile, are left to wonder what might have been.
Blown opportunity for Orlando
The Magic had three chances to close out the series and appeared to have it in the bag with their 24-point lead at home in the second half of Game 6. But their historic collapse spoiled their own shot at making history in their favor.
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In the end, they didn’t have enough firepower to compete with a Pistons team that finished second in the NBA in defensive rating in the regular season. Wagner missed a third straight game Sunday with a calf injury, leaving the Magic without their No. 2 option who was critical in building a 3-1 series lead.
Banchero kept the Magic afloat with 23 first-half points en route to 38 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists. Desmond Bane added 16 points while shooting 3 of 5 from 3.
It wasn’t nearly enough for a Magic team that struggled to find offense against a smothering Detroit defense. Orlando shot 41% from the field and countered Detroit’s hot 3-point shooting with a 10-of-30 (33.3%) effort.
The Pistons will host Game 1 of the second round Tuesday against either the Raptors or Cavaliers.
