The Orlando Magic missed out on their first playoff series win in 16 years. The team, which was once again without Franz Wagner, held a comfortable double-digit lead heading into halftime. What followed was a historic collapse.
The biggest question marks heading into the game centered on which Magic player would be tasked with defending Cade Cunningham. It was left to the star himself—Paolo Banchero. The 23-year-old had already handled this task quite well toward the end of Game 5. And in this sixth matchup as well, in the absence of the injured Franz Wagner, he appeared to be the best available answer to the Pistons star.
With his size and physicality, he held Cunningham to just eight points on nine shots in the first half. The All-Star guard drove to the basket successfully only once, instead attempting shot after shot from mid-range.
Da Silva gets the most minutes since the start of the playoffs
For the Magic, on the other hand, there was more movement on offense. Sixteen of the 20 assists were recorded by halftime alone. Things were also going very well from beyond the arc. Desmond Bane made all three of his attempts from downtown. The team shot just under 40 percent from beyond the arc in the first two quarters.
Early in the second quarter, Orlando pulled ahead by double digits for the first time thanks to a 14-2 run. Tristan da Silva also sparked the offense. By halftime, the second-year pro had already put seven points on the board.
In the final minutes of the first half, Paolo Banchero stepped into the spotlight for the first time. In the span of a minute, Orlando’s star player scored six straight points, extending the halftime lead to +22.
Historic collapse: Orlando scores just 19 points in the 2nd half
The opening minutes of the second half would prove crucial for the Pistons. And they delivered: The visitors won the first five minutes 16-4, cutting the deficit back to ten points. The run was fueled in particular by two three-pointers from Duncan. Tristan da Silva put an end to the run by confidently sinking an open three-pointer off a pass from Banchero. A notable lineup change for Detroit: Instead of Duren and Stewart, the nominal third big man, Paul Reed, was now getting significant minutes. An 8-0 run late in the quarter brought Detroit back within single digits (71-62).
But the Magic’s slide wasn’t over yet. The basket seemed to be nailed shut for the hosts, with stars Banchero and Bane in particular completely disappearing during this stretch. In the first six minutes of the fourth quarter, Orlando scored a meager one point. And Detroit? Led by a resurgent Cade Cunningham, they suddenly took the lead.
The misery went on and on. Orlando missed 23 shots in a row—a playoff record for the worst shooting streak. Detroit pulled ahead by double digits—and the Magic fans left their own arena. The final seconds of the game were met with boos from their own supporters. In the end, they scored 19 points in the entire second half on 4-of-37 shooting from the field and 1-of-20 in the fourth quarter—the worst figures in playoff history for at least 35 attempts.
The Orlando Magic must now continue to worry about their first playoff win in 16 years. The decisive Game 7 will take place on Sunday in Detroit.