Beede’s Breakdown: Magic collapse in the 2nd half as Pistons force Game 7

3 min read
Beede’s Breakdown: Magic collapse in the 2nd half as Pistons force Game 7

Beede’s Breakdown: Magic collapse in the 2nd half as Pistons force Game 7

The Magic collapsed and now a Game 7 on the road awaits. After building a 24-point lead inside a rowdy Kia Center, the Magic squandered to the opportunity to close out an NBA playoff series at home under coach Jamahl Mosley, crumbled in the second half and fell to the Pistons 93-79 in front of a nat

Beede’s Breakdown: Magic collapse in the 2nd half as Pistons force Game 7

The Magic collapsed and now a Game 7 on the road awaits. After building a 24-point lead inside a rowdy Kia Center, the Magic squandered to the opportunity to close out an NBA playoff series at home under coach Jamahl Mosley, crumbled in the second half and fell to the Pistons 93-79 in front of a national TV audience on Prime Video. Leading top-seeded Detroit 3-2 in their best-of-seven ...

The Orlando Magic had the chance to close out their first playoff series win in 16 years on home court Friday night. Instead, they watched it slip away in historic fashion.

After building a commanding 24-point lead in front of a fired-up Kia Center crowd on Prime Video, the Magic suffered a catastrophic second-half collapse, falling to the Detroit Pistons 93-79. The loss forces a decisive Game 7 on Sunday afternoon in Detroit (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC).

Leading the top-seeded Pistons 3-2 in their best-of-seven first-round series, eighth-seeded Orlando had everything going their way at halftime. They led 60-38 and seemed poised to advance past the first round for the first time since 2010.

But the Pistons, led by Montverde Academy product Cade Cunningham's game-high 32 points, flipped the script completely. Detroit came out of the break with relentless defensive pressure, and Orlando's offense ground to a halt. The Magic managed just 19 total points in the second half — 11 in the third quarter and a paltry eight in the fourth.

The Pistons outscored Orlando 24-11 in the third quarter, then opened the fourth on a 16-1 run to take a 74-72 lead. In total, Detroit outscored the Magic 55-19 after intermission.

Orlando's guards struggled mightily. After opening 3-for-3 from beyond the arc for 15 first-half points, the Magic's starting guard missed his next six three-point attempts. Jalen Suggs also had a tough night, shooting just 1-for-10 from the field for seven points.

Now, the Magic face a daunting task: winning a win-or-go-home Game 7 on the road against a Pistons team that has all the momentum. After leading the series 3-1, Orlando must regroup quickly or watch their historic season end in heartbreak.

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