Detroit — The Detroit Pistons will return to Little Caesars Arena on Wednesday night, facing a tough challenge. After sustaining a 94-88 Game 4 loss, the Pistons will enter Game 5 trailing the Orlando Magic, 3-1, in the best-of-seven first-round series.
The Magic have become the sixth eighth seed to take a 3-1 series lead over a No. 1 seed since the 1983-84 season. In four of the last five instances, the lower-seeded team has gone on to eliminate the top-seeded team. The only team to fail was the Magic in 2003, when the Pistons came back from a 3-1 deficit.
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The Pistons will try to repeat history. However, they are not the only team in the league attempting to stave off elimination in Game 5 of their respective series.
VJ Edgecombe and Tyrese Maxey combined for 59 points, leading the Philadelphia 76ers to a 111-97 victory over the Boston Celtics in Game 2, which tied the series at 1-1.
After a close loss to the Celtics in Game 3 (108-100), the 76ers still had some momentum and received a significant boost with the return of former league MVP Joel Embiid. However, Jayson Tatum responded to Embiid's return by scoring 30 points to go along with 11 assists, helping the Celtics secure a 128-96 victory on Sunday night and take a 3-1 lead in their first-round playoff series.
Victor Wembanyama suffered a concussion after a hard fall in Game 2, which allowed the Portland Trail Blazers to capitalize on his absence, securing a 106-103 victory over the San Antonio Spurs. Wembanyama remained out for Game 3, but the Spurs managed to take a 120-108 victory on the Trail Blazers' home court.
In Game 4, Portland held a 17-point halftime lead, but the Spurs mounted a strong second-half comeback and ultimately won 114-93. Wembanyama returned from his concussion in Game 4, finishing the game with 27 points, 11 rebounds, and seven blocks.
The anticipated postseason series between LeBron James and Kevin Durant quickly turned into one of the most dysfunctional matchups in the league. Injuries kept Durant sidelined for Games 1 and 3, as he dealt with a knee injury and an ankle injury. As a result, the Houston Rockets struggled without Durant, dropping both games.
Durant played only in Game 2, but the Rockets still suffered a 101-94 defeat against the Lakers, in which James delivered an impressive performance, finishing with 28 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. Down 3-0 entering Game 4, and still without Durant, the Rockets extended their season and the series by taking a 115-96 victory. Amen Thompson scored 23 points, while Tari Eason added 20 to help the Rockets avoid elimination on their home court.
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Pistons join a handful of teams trying to avoid a Game 5 elimination