ORLANDO − Oakland University's Jamal Cain and the Orlando Magic have the 60-win Detroit Pistons on the brink of stunning NBA playoff elimination.
Cain, the 27-year-old bench wing from Pontiac who went undrafted after transferring from Marquette to Oakland for the 2021-22 season, threw down an insane poster dunk on Jalen Duren to take the lead late in the fourth quarter, and helped stifle Cade Cunningham while playing in place of the injured Michigan alumnus Franz Wagner (right calf soreness) at Kia Center.
The Magic forced 20 Pistons turnovers, eight from Cade Cunningham, to overcome putrid shooting Monday, April 27, and held the Pistons without a field goal for nearly the final 5:24 to secure a Game 4 win, 94-88, and a 3-1 series lead. Isaiah Stewart's meaningless putback layup with 2 seconds left stopped the drought.
The Pistons would become the seventh 1-seed to lose a playoff series to an 8-seed, and first since 2023 when the Milwaukee Bucks lost to the Miami Heat.
[ Pistons on verge of disgracing NBA legacy if they lose to Magic ]
JAMAL CAIN ATTACKS THE RIM AND THROWS IT DOWN💥A BIG-TIME POSTER JAM IN GAME 4! pic.twitter.com/oGxTm1uRpb
Ausar Thompson's tying layup at 85-all with 5:24 was the Pistons' last made basket until Stewart's in the final seconds.
Desmond Bane poured in 22 points for Orlando, including a banked-in 3-pointer near the top of the key for a 92-86 advantage with 76 seconds left.
BANE BANKS-IN THE CLUTCH 3!MAGIC LEAD BY 6 WITH UNDER 30 SECONDS TO PLAY IN GAME 4 🍿 pic.twitter.com/jbnRmBZWJQ
Game 5 is Wednesday at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit (7 p.m., Prime Video), where the Pistons must win to force a Game 6 on Friday night in Orlando.
This series is eerily similar to the 2003 first-round matchup between the franchises, when the 1-seed Pistons went down 3-1 to the 8-seed Magic with the first four games following the same results as this one. The Pistons won the final three games to advance.
A general view inside the Kia Center before the Orlando Magic host the Detroit Pistons prior to game four of the first round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs at Kia Center in Orlando, Florida, on Monday, April 27, 2026.Detroit Pistons forward Ronald Holland II (5) warms up before the game against the Orlando Magic during Game 4 of the first round of the 2026 NBA playoffs at Kia Center in Orlando, Florida, on Monday, April 27, 2026.Detroit Pistons forward Duncan Robinson (55) warms up before the game against the Orlando Magic during Game 4 of the first round of the 2026 NBA playoffs at Kia Center in Orlando, Florida, on Monday, April 27, 2026.Detroit Pistons guard Javonte Green (31) warms up before the game against the Orlando Magic during Game 4 of the first round of the 2026 NBA playoffs at Kia Center in Orlando, Florida, on Monday, April 27, 2026.Detroit Pistons guard Kevin Huerter (27) warms up before the game against the Orlando Magic during Game 4 of the first round of the 2026 NBA playoffs at Kia Center in Orlando, Florida, on Monday, April 27, 2026.1 / 5Magic try to put Pistons on verge of elimination in Game 4 of NBA playoffsA general view inside the Kia Center before the Orlando Magic host the Detroit Pistons prior to game four of the first round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs at Kia Center in Orlando, Florida, on Monday, April 27, 2026.1 / 5Magic try to put Pistons on verge of elimination in Game 4 of NBA playoffsA general view inside the Kia Center before the Orlando Magic host the Detroit Pistons prior to game four of the first round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs at Kia Center in Orlando, Florida, on Monday, April 27, 2026.2 / 5Magic try to put Pistons on verge of elimination in Game 4 of NBA playoffsDetroit Pistons forward Ronald Holland II (5) warms up before the game against the Orlando Magic during Game 4 of the first round of the 2026 NBA playoffs at Kia Center in Orlando, Florida, on Monday, April 27, 2026.3 / 5Magic try to put Pistons on verge of elimination in Game 4 of NBA playoffsDetroit Pistons forward Duncan Robinson (55) warms up before the game against the Orlando Magic during Game 4 of the first round of the 2026 NBA playoffs at Kia Center in Orlando, Florida, on Monday, April 27, 2026.4 / 5Magic try to put Pistons on verge of elimination in Game 4 of NBA playoffsDetroit Pistons guard Javonte Green (31) warms up before the game against the Orlando Magic during Game 4 of the first round of the 2026 NBA playoffs at Kia Center in Orlando, Florida, on Monday, April 27, 2026.5 / 5Magic try to put Pistons on verge of elimination in Game 4 of NBA playoffsDetroit Pistons guard Kevin Huerter (27) warms up before the game against the Orlando Magic during Game 4 of the first round of the 2026 NBA playoffs at Kia Center in Orlando, Florida, on Monday, April 27, 2026.The Pistons exited the first quarter with a 27-26 lead – only their fourth time winning a quarter this series. And they did so despite a horrific start to the game.
They committed seven turnovers in the first four minutes of the game, enabling the Magic to get off to an early 17-5 lead. The first three turnovers all resulted from trying to get the ball inside to Duren, with two misplaced entry passes and an offensive foul on Duren for pushing off.
By the time they committed their seventh turnover – a bad pass from Cunningham to Duncan Robinson – they were facing a double-digit deficit. Through three quarters, the Pistons had 16 turnovers to Orlando’s five, with Cunningham accounting for eight by himself. And the Magic had a 23-5 lead in points scored off of turnovers – an 18-point difference in a six-point game.
Despite the turnovers, the Pistons battled. They responded to a 17-5 deficit with their best stretch of basketball of the night, a 35-13 run that turned a 12-point deficit into a 40-30 lead, their largest of the game, roughly midway through the second quarter. But they couldn’t sustain momentum, in part because of their ball control issues.
Down 67-65 midway through the third period, the Pistons committed back-to-back turnovers with a chance to tie or take the lead. They couldn’t break a full court press, and then a misplaced pass from Cunningham in transition went in-between Javonte Green’s legs and out of bounds.
With the game tied at 85 with 5:24 to go in the final period, they failed to box out Jamal Cain for a putback layup. They had two tough turnovers late in a close game – offensive fouls from Caris LeVert and Duren that helped Orlando stay in control.
Beef Stew’s presence was felt the moment he checked into the game late in the first quarter. He sparked the Pistons’ 15-3 run in the first half by blocking three shots within his first four minutes. He had countless other contests that didn’t show up on the stat sheet but prevented Orlando from converting at the rim.
He also provided a counter to Orlando’s paint-packing strategy on defense, knocking down a left-wing 3-pointer in the second quarter. It was only his third 3-point attempt of the series and second make. He didn’t attempt another 3 the rest of the game, however.
With the Pistons now fighting for their lives, coach J.B. Bickerstaff will have to determine how much he can play Stewart in Game 5, and how little he can play Duren if the 22-year-old still isn’t producing to the level needed.