The Detroit Pistons pulled off one of the most improbable comebacks in NBA playoff history on Friday night, erasing a 24-point second-half deficit to stun the Orlando Magic 93-80 in Game 6 of their Eastern Conference first-round series. Facing elimination on the road, the No. 8 seed Pistons refused to let their season end, avoiding the ignominy of becoming another top seed ousted by a lower seed.
"We weren't going to lay down," Pistons guard Cade Cunningham said. "For anything."
Orlando forward Paolo Banchero summed up the collapse simply: "They went on a pretty big run there. And we didn't score."
That understatement barely captures the magnitude of what unfolded. Let's break down the numbers behind this historic turnaround:
The Tale of Two Halves
Over the first 25 minutes, the Magic dominated 62-38. But over the final 23 minutes, the Pistons flipped the script completely, outscoring Orlando 55-17. The fourth quarter alone told the story: Detroit 31, Orlando 8.
Shooting Woes for the Ages
The Magic's fourth-quarter shooting percentage was a staggering 5% — just 1-for-20 from the field. That's the worst shooting performance in any quarter by an NBA team in the last 20,238 games, dating back to 2015. Orlando missed 23 consecutive shots, the longest drought in a playoff game since the play-by-play era began in 1996-97.
During that cold spell, eight different Magic players missed shots, with 13 of the 23 misses coming from beyond the arc. The drought lasted 13 minutes and 50 seconds of game time — about 41 minutes in real time.
The Defining Run
When the missed-shot streak began, Orlando led 70-54. By the time it ended, Detroit was ahead 89-75 — a stunning 35-5 Pistons run. Cunningham led the charge with seven field goals in the second half, while Duncan Robinson added four during that span. Meanwhile, the Magic managed just four baskets in the entire second half.
For Pistons fans, this was a reminder of why you never count out a team with heart. For the Magic, it's a painful lesson in momentum — and how quickly it can vanish.