Cunningham Leads Pistons to Playoff Rout, Evens Series With Magic
DETROIT (Interstat) — Cade Cunningham recorded 27 points and 11 assists as the Detroit Pistons dominated the third quarter to defeat the Orlando Magic 98-83 on Wednesday night, evening their first-round playoff series at one game apiece.
The Pistons outscored the Magic 38-16 in the decisive third period at Little Caesars Arena, erasing a four-point halftime deficit before a crowd of 20,062. Paolo Banchero led Orlando with 18 points and eight assists. The Magic now hold a 1-0 series lead.
Detroit’s Tobias Harris added 16 points and 11 rebounds. Jalen Suggs scored 19 points for Orlando, which shot poorly overall. The Pistons, the NBA’s top regular-season team at 61-23, avoided falling into an 0-2 series hole against the 47-39 Magic. Game 3 is Saturday in Orlando.