The No. 8 seed Orlando Magic moved to the brink of a historic playoff upset on Monday night, defeating the top-seeded Detroit Pistons 94-88. With the victory, Orlando takes a commanding 3 to 1 series lead, leaving the 60-win Pistons one loss away from a first-round exit.
The game remained a tense affair until the final minutes. After Detroit used an 8-to-3 run to tie the game at 85 with just over five minutes remaining, Orlandoâs defense took over. The Magic held the Pistons scoreless for nearly four minutes, effectively locking down the perimeter and the paint.
Jamal Cain provided a critical spark for Orlando, following up an earlier fourth-quarter poster dunk with a massive go-ahead putback jam. Moments later, Desmond Bane silenced the Detroit hopefuls by banking in a deep three-pointer with 1:16 left on the clock. Bane led the Magic with 22 points, including five triples.
Despite 25 points from Cade Cunningham, Detroit struggled to find consistent offense during the closing stretch. Isaiah Stewart managed a late tip-in, but it served only to finalize a score that reflected Orlandoâs defensive dominance. The Magic are now just one win away from becoming the seventh No. 8 seed in NBA history to defeat a No. 1 seed. The series returns to Detroit for Game 5 on Wednesday.