Detroit Pistons complete historic 24-point comeback to force Game 7 as Magic go ice cold in the second half

ORLANDO, Fla. – There have been 37 teams in NBA history to force a Game 7 after trailing 3-1 in a best-of-seven series, make that 38 as the Detroit Pistons overcame a 24-point deficit to defeat the Orlando Magic 93-79 inside the Kia Center.

Teams that come back from 3-1 are 13-286 all-time, but the Denver Nuggets have done it twice in the same 2020 playoffs.

In the victory, Detroit became the third team in the play-by-play era to rally from 20 or more points down at halftime when facing elimination in a playoff game, joining the 2018 Oklahoma City Thunder (25 points) and the 2024 Minnesota Timberwolves (20 points).

The Pistons, in the victory overcame their largest deficit in franchise history, led by Cade Cunningham, scoring 32 points and grabbing 10 rebounds, with 19 points coming in the fourth quarter.

But defense was the story as Detroit outscored Orlando 55-19 in the second half, forcing the Magic to miss 23 consecutive field goals, including 14 straight from the three-point line.

Orlando led 60-38 at the half and took a 24-point lead before Detroit turned off their faucet while getting hot in the second half for the massive victory.

Tobias Harris chipped in with 22 points, while Duncan Robinson added 14 in the massive comeback victory.

1st quarter

The Pistons won the opening tip but failed to convert, nearly turning the ball over before Orlando’s Wendell Carter Jr. secured possession. The sequence led to the first foul of the game on Cade Cunningham, who contested a shot by Paolo Banchero and sent him to the line, where he split a pair of free throws.

Former Michigan Wolverines standout Duncan Robinson attacked the rim on the next possession but missed, setting up a putback by Jalen Duren for Detroit’s first points.

Desmond Bane answered with a 3-pointer, followed by Jamal Cain, giving Orlando a 7-2 lead.

Cunningham then went to the line and split a pair of free throws as Detroit trailed 7-3.

Tobias Harris hit a floater, but Duren’s attempt to push the pace after a rebound resulted in a turnover and a dunk for Carter Jr., pushing Orlando ahead 9-5.

Ausar Thompson responded with a putback to cut the deficit to two, but Banchero quickly assisted Carter Jr. for another dunk.

Harris drilled a 3-pointer, but Cain committed a turnover, prompting a timeout with 6:57 remaining in the first quarter.

Out of the timeout, Robinson found Duren for a dunk, giving Detroit its first lead.

Duren followed with a reverse layup off a Daniss Jenkins assist as the Pistons went on a 7-0 run.

The run ended when Banchero was fouled and split a pair of free throws. Jenkins answered with a floater, but Bane hit a contested jumper to give Orlando a 14-13 lead.

Harris drew a foul on Carter Jr. on a 3-point attempt, going to the line and making just one of three as Detroit led 17-14.

Cunningham was stripped after a defensive rebound, and Jevon Carter was later called for a shot-clock violation.

Carter Jr. then hit a jumper before Anthony Black answered with a basket to briefly retake the lead.

Robinson knocked down his first 3-pointer of the night, but Harris lost control of a defensive rebound, leading to a timeout with 2:50 left in the quarter.

Out of the break, Caris LeVert nearly forced a turnover before Tristan da Silva hit a jumper over Cunningham.

Cunningham responded with a 3-pointer, but Da Silva answered with one of his own to tie the game at 23-23.

Jenkins then buried a corner 3 to put Detroit back in front.

Javonte Green secured a defensive rebound but nearly turned it over, and Jenkins had a shot blocked by Goga Bitadze.

Bitadze finished a dunk after Banchero drove into traffic and found him under the rim.

LeVert nearly beat the buzzer with a long attempt, but it rimmed out as Detroit led 26-25 after one quarter.

2nd quarter

Banchero opened the second quarter with a jumper as the Orlando Magic quickly extended their lead, while Paul Reed missed a corner 3-pointer that led to a Tristan da Silva floater and a 29-26 advantage.

Goga Bitadze added a layup off an offensive rebound, fueling an 8-0 run for Orlando.

Cunningham missed a contested layup, but Reed responded with an offensive rebound and putback to momentarily stop the surge.

Bitadze continued his strong stretch inside, finishing another basket after securing his fifth rebound.

Harris drove into the paint but missed a contested attempt, and Duren followed with an offensive rebound and missed a putback that sparked a transition the other way.

Anthony Black finished through contact, converting the layup and free throw as Orlando built a 36-28 lead with 7:53 remaining.

The Magic had outscored Detroit 13-2 to start the quarter.

Bane extended the run with an uncontested layup, prompting a Pistons timeout with 7:46 left as Orlando led 38-28 and had pushed the run to 15-2.

Out of the timeout, Banchero forced a turnover when Harris threw an airball out of bounds.

Jalen Suggs then buried a 3-pointer as the run grew to 18-2. Cunningham answered with a jumper, and Bane added a 3-pointer of his own.

Orlando responded immediately as Carter Jr. knocked down a 3-pointer, pushing the run to 24-4.

Harris hit a floater to bring Detroit within 47-32 with 5:19 remaining, but Jamal Cain picked up his second foul of the game.

Thompson secured an offensive rebound and found Cunningham for a jumper.

Robinson was then called for his third foul, and Suggs converted a pair of free throws after drawing contact.

Harris reached double figures with a jumper off a Jenkins assist, trimming the deficit to 13.

Carter Jr. was later called for an offensive foul after Jenkins missed an open 3-pointer.

Detroit failed to secure a defensive rebound, allowing Orlando to find Bane for another 3-pointer.

Bane added a long fadeaway jumper, and Jenkins was called for an offensive foul, leading to a timeout with 2:31 remaining as Orlando led 54-38.

The Magic outscored the Pistons 31-12 in the quarter, including a 29-12 advantage in the second, as Detroit’s defensive lapses and cold shooting continued to widen the gap.

Banchero added a contested layup to extend the lead to 18 before Harris rushed an off-balance 3-pointer late in the clock.

Banchero followed with another jumper, drew a foul, and converted both free throws as Orlando pushed the lead further amid “MVP” chants from the crowd.

Detroit coach J.B. Bickerstaff had no answer as the Pistons trailed by more than 20 points, scoring just 12 in the quarter.

Bane was whistled for a foul on Robinson with 16.2 seconds remaining, and Detroit then committed a turnover on the inbound.

Orlando failed to capitalize, but still entered halftime with a commanding 60-38 lead after holding Detroit to its lowest-scoring quarter of the season.

3rd quarter

Robinson picked up his fourth foul early in the third quarter, and Bane capitalized with a driving layup to extend Orlando’s lead to 24.

Cunningham then turned the ball over on Detroit’s ensuing possession.

Banchero was called for an offensive foul after Thompson drew a charge, giving the Pistons a brief spark.

Orlando, which had been shooting 56% from the field, saw its lead trimmed when Cunningham hit a jumper, and Harris followed with a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to 19 with 9:41 remaining.

Thompson blocked Bane on the next possession, and despite Harris being denied at the rim, Cunningham grabbed the offensive rebound and scored on the putback.

The sequence capped a 7-0 Detroit run and forced an Orlando timeout with 9:16 left in the quarter.

Suggs was called for traveling out of the break, but Wendell Carter Jr. answered with a block on Thompson.

Harris then missed a pair of open looks, including a 3-pointer and a follow-up attempt that struck the side of the backboard.

Duren picked up his third foul, sending Banchero to the free-throw line, where he converted both attempts.

Cunningham missed a contested layup on the other end, but Duren secured the offensive rebound and finished the putback while drawing a foul, though he missed the free throw.

Cunningham came up with a steal and found Robinson for a 3-pointer as Detroit continued to chip away.

Robinson and Harris both missed open looks from beyond the arc on the next possession, but Duren again controlled the offensive glass.

Bane was assessed a dead-ball foul, leading to a free throw as Detroit extended its run to 16-2.

However, Robinson turned the ball over, and Banchero pushed in transition before being blocked by Duren.

Detroit regained possession and called a timeout with 5:32 to play.

Out of the timeout, Cunningham nearly missed the rim on a long attempt, and Tristan da Silva answered with a 3-pointer.

Jenkins then misfired, leading to an Anthony Black 3-pointer that pushed Orlando’s lead back to 16.

Banchero was fouled on the following possession and split a pair of free throws to make it 71-54.

Reed answered with a contested layup off a Cunningham assist, then drew a foul under the rim and converted both free throws to cut the deficit to 13.

Detroit forced a turnover, and Jenkins made both free throws after being fouled.

Robinson later added a layup as the Pistons continued their push.

Detroit outscored Orlando 22-11 in the quarter, trimming the deficit to nine heading into the final period.

4th quarter

Cunningham opened the fourth quarter with a basket inside, cutting Detroit’s deficit to seven and igniting a comeback that would ultimately force a Game 7.

Thompson followed with a block on Jamal Cain, though Paul Reed was called for a foul on the offensive end.

Cunningham continued to attack, converting a basket while drawing contact to trim the deficit to five with 11:05 remaining, but he missed the free throw.

Carter Jr. split a pair of free throws after drawing a foul from Reed, and Cunningham answered with another score to keep Detroit within striking distance. A defensive trap by Cunningham and Daniss Jenkins created an open look for Jenkins, but he missed a 3-pointer.

Orlando’s offense began to unravel, missing 12 consecutive shots before Detroit coach J.B. Bickerstaff called a timeout with his team trailing 72-68 and 9:01 left.

Tobias Harris picked up his fourth foul on Paolo Banchero, but Banchero missed on the ensuing possession. Cunningham capitalized, drawing a foul and making both free throws to cut the deficit to two with 7:53 remaining.

Cunningham then came up with a steal and converted a layup, completing a personal 10-0 run to tie the game. Harris followed by drawing Carter Jr.’s fourth foul and making both free throws to give Detroit its first lead since the opening quarter.

The Pistons’ surge intensified as Orlando’s shooting struggles deepened. The Magic missed 17 straight shots during a 20-1 Detroit run, allowing the Pistons to seize control.

Cunningham added two more free throws to extend the lead to four, and after another Orlando miss, he secured a rebound and drew Carter Jr.’s fifth foul. Cunningham made both free throws to push the lead to six with under six minutes to play, capping a 22-1 run.

Orlando’s drought stretched to 19 consecutive misses before Harris knocked down a jumper to give Detroit an eight-point lead. Banchero later drew a foul and made two free throws, but the Magic’s struggles continued.

Cunningham buried a corner 3-pointer after another defensive stop, and Thompson delivered a key block on Carter Jr., who fouled out on the next possession. Cunningham made both free throws following the foul to extend the lead to 10.

Duncan Robinson added a 3-pointer to make it 88-75 as Orlando’s skid reached 23 consecutive missed field goals, including 13 straight from beyond the arc, drawing boos from the home crowd.

Harris split a pair of free throws before Banchero ended the drought with a dunk. Harris responded by converting two more free throws, and Thompson added another emphatic block with 1:49 remaining.

Jalen Suggs made both free throws after drawing a foul, but Harris answered with a jumper to stretch the lead to 15.

Detroit outscored Orlando 55-19 in the second half, completing a stunning comeback to force a decisive Game 7.