The Orlando Magic defeated the Detroit Pistons 112-109 Friday night, securing the top seed in East Group B of the NBA Cup and advancing to the knockout round, according to reports from ESPN and CBS News.
The victory came despite a dominant performance by Pistons guard Cade Cunningham, who recorded a triple-double with 39 points, 12 rebounds, and 11 assists. However, Orlando’s Desmond Bane led all scorers with 37 points, playing a crucial role in the final minutes of the game. Bane as well secured two key offensive rebounds in the last minute, preventing Detroit from regaining possession and potentially tying the game.
The Magic built a lead after falling behind early, overcoming a 13-point deficit in the first quarter to eventually lead by 10 points in the fourth. Franz Wagner contributed 21 points for Orlando, and strategically fouled Cunningham with seconds remaining to prevent a potential game-tying shot.
Detroit’s Tobias Harris scored 18 points, while Jalen Duren added 16 points and 12 rebounds. The Pistons, who had previously enjoyed a 13-game winning streak, finished NBA Cup play with a 2-2 record and did not advance to the knockout round.
With the score at 108-106 in favor of Orlando with 2:11 left, Bane’s three-point play extended the lead. Wagner then added a layup to increase the advantage to four points. After a 3-pointer from Harris and a Detroit stop, Cunningham turned the ball over with 1:03 remaining. Despite multiple missed shots by Wagner, Orlando continued to control the offensive rebounds, with Wendell Carter Jr. Securing another crucial board.
Jalen Suggs sealed the victory with two free throws with 6.3 seconds left, bringing the score to 112-109. Cunningham missed his first free throw attempt with 4.7 seconds remaining and intentionally missed the second, but his attempt to regain possession was unsuccessful. A final three-point attempt by Duncan Robinson was blocked by Anthony Black.
The Magic utilized a 15-5 run late in the third quarter to establish an 89-84 lead entering the fourth. Orlando extended this lead to 95-85 early in the fourth quarter, capitalizing on Detroit’s initial struggles from the field. The Pistons eventually tied the game at 100-all before Orlando regained control.
The Orlando Magic are scheduled to host the Chicago Bulls on Monday. The Detroit Pistons will visit the Miami Heat on Saturday.
