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Los Angeles —The Orlando Magic pulled off one of the first surprises of the postseason by defeating the Detroit Pistons 112-101 in the start of their first-round series at Little Caesars Arena.
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The Orlando Magic, who entered the playoffs as the eighth seed after overcoming the play-in, showed character to overcome the Eastern Conference leader and steal home-court advantage from the first game. Paolo Banchero led the offense with 23 points, while Franz Wagner was key in the outcome by scoring 11 of his 19 units in the last quarter, a stretch in which the Magic secured the victory. From Detroit's side, Cade Cunningham shone with 39 points and led his team's reaction. The Pistons managed to tie the score in the third quarter after a three-pointer from their star, after having been down by double digits from the start. However, Orlando responded with a new offensive push and maintained control in the final minutes to seal a victory that confirms their competitiveness in this postseason. In other results of the day, the Boston Celtics and the Oklahoma City Thunder dominated the Philadelphia 76ers and the Phoenix Suns with authority, respectively. The date also marked the start of the series in the Western Conference between the San Antonio Spurs, led by Frenchman Victor Wembanyama, and the Portland Trail Blazers. Orlando, who had already shown signs of danger in the play-in, starts the series like this, sending a clear message: it is ready to compete against anyone.
