The Orlando Magic are one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference and they demonstrated it again this Saturday at the Kia Center, where they still don’t know what it means to lose this season. Florida took advantage of Cade Cunningham’s absence to beat the fading Detroit Pistons 111-100 and add their eighth consecutive home win.
Franz Wagner once again dominated the game and flirted with a triple double by adding 30 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists in just three quarters. In the last one he didn’t play a single minute, the substitutes increased the lead to 22 points and coach Jamahl Mosley decided to rest him. Necessary, because the Magic not only suffered one game plus losses to Paolo Banchero and Wendell Carter Jr., but they also lost Jalen Suggs in the first half to a sore left hamstring.
Adding to Wagner’s performance were his brother Mo Wagner and Anthony Black, who contributed 18 and 11 points, respectively, as well as five assists each, to lead the second unit and give no respite to the Pistons’ idle play. Without Cunningham, the Pistons were out of luck.
In fact, the Michigan team never looked comfortable due to a lack of offensive ideas, exacerbated by the Magic’s strong defense. Therefore, they suffered up to 17 turnovers, for just 16 assists. The only drinkable thing about JB Bickerstaff’s team was reduced to the sparks of Jaden Ivey and Malik Beasley, who led the scoring of Detroit with 19 and 18 points.
“We play in small spaces, which is what this team wants, because they are physical, they are active, they have great size and they want to steal the ball in those positions,” Bickerstaff said after the game. «Between the turnovers and offensive rebounds we allow ourselves, it’s difficult to do something. “That’s where we keep talking, about the need to win the ball possession battle.”
The Pistons aren’t sure about Cunningham’s return
Bickerstaff was unable to provide an exact timeline when asked before the game about Cunningham, who suffered a sprained left sacroiliac joint after a hard fall against the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday. Without their best player, the Pistons struggled to move the ball for long stretches.
“He’s moving forward,” the coach said. “Obviously, those injuries are difficult when you take a hit to the tailbone area. That’s where the movement begins. It’s quite sore, but it seems to be getting better. We will analyze him day by day and see how he improves.”
(Cover photo by Candice Ward/Getty Images)
