Orlando Magic defeat Detroit Pistons in close game: Paolo Banchero hits game-winner

Sunday, 25 February 2024 at 09:07

This game featured 2 of the younger teams in the NBA, but both squads are in different timelines based on their success this season. In this game, the first-time All-Star Paolo Banchero led the Orlando Magic to a close 112-109 victory over the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena, including hitting the game winning jumper.

The #1 overall pick in 2022 is having a phenomenal start to his career, winning Rookie of the Year and playing in his first All-Star game this past weekend. At just 21 years old, he has took on a leadership role of this young team and led them to a potential playoff appearance this postseason.

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The Magic had 8 players score in double digits this game, with Banchero leading the way scoring 15 points. He also hit the game winning And-1 midrange jumpshot in the final seconds of the contest. Franz Wagner, Jalen Suggs, and Moe Wagner all scored 14 points while Cole Anthony finished with 13 points off the bench. Jonathan Isaac and Gary Harris ended with 12 points, and Wendell Carter Jr. recorded 11 points with 10 rebounds.

Cade Cunningham had a game high 26 points in this matchup, hitting 4 three pointers in the process. Midseason acquisition Simone Fontecchio scored 17 points while Jalen Duren recorded 16 points and 11 rebounds. After not playing much in New York, Evan Fournier came off the bench and finished with 13 points.

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This win improves the Magic to 32-25, which makes them 6th in the Eastern Conference. Orlando is currently tied with the 7th seeded Pacers for the last playoff spot to avoid the play-in, but they hold the tiebreaker over Indiana. They are on a hot streak, winning 8 of their last 10 games and currently on a 3-game winning streak. Their next game will be tomorrow against the Atlanta Hawks.

Meanwhile, this loss drops the Pistons to 8-48 this season. Detroit is having a rough season, losing 5 straight games and 2-8 over their last 10 games. Their goals for the rest of the year will be to develop the young core and add more talent in the offseason. They will face off against the New York Knicks on Monday and see some familiar faces in Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks.