The Orlando Magic have lost their fourth game in a row. Both Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero struggle against the Detroit Pistons, with the Magic losing 116-135.
Orlando just can’t find its rhythm this season. Although the Magic quickly took a double-digit lead in Detroit, the score was tied again at halftime in Michigan before the Pistons pulled away with a 14-1 run.
It was also painful to see Orlando miss twelve free throws, ten of them in the first 36 minutes (28/40 FT overall). Franz Wagner (7/11 FT) and Paolo Banchero (10/17) were primarily responsible for this. Wagner shot well from distance with his 22 points (6/14 FG, 3/4 three-pointers), but didn’t do much near the rim. Banchero was the visitors’ top scorer with 24 points (7/16), while Desmond Bane (12, 4/15) struggled to find the basket.
Da Silva a ray of hope
On the other hand, Tristan da Silva was a ray of hope for the Magic, whose option for another year was exercised by the Magic before the game. Coming off the bench for just under 21 minutes, the Munich native scored 15 points (6/9 FG, 3/6 3P), without a single layup. In return, Orlando conceded 64 points in the zone and turned the ball over 17 times, which Detroit converted into 26 points.
The Pistons were led by Cade Cunningham (30, 12/24, 10 assists), who also had three steals and three blocks. Jalen Duren (21, 13 rebounds) and Ausar Thompson (12, 11 rebounds) had double-doubles, while Tobias Harris scored 23 points.
Orlando has now lost every game since its opening win against Miami, with only Brooklyn (0-5) and Indiana (0-4) faring worse in the Eastern Conference. Detroit improves to 3-2. The Magic now have three more away games on their schedule – in Charlotte, Washington, and Atlanta.
