It has been a bit of a roller-coaster ride for the NBA Playoffs this season. I always say this is the worst way for it to happen. There are going to be games I lose. That’s a fact I can’t avoid. However, as a reader, it is harder to figure out when to follow and when to fade. Hopefully, I can provide some stability, specifically winning games, for us soon. I want to start it here as the Pistons take on the Magic in Game 3.
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Detroit shocked the NBA by getting the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference. They won 60 games for the season. This was just two years after losing 68 games. The turnaround has been remarkable, and mostly due to the fact that Cade Cunningham has become a bona fide superstar. The rest of the team has obviously contributed, too. Jalen Duren is one of the better young big men in the league, Tobias Harris is a solid veteran presence, and the depth is better than ever.
Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham dribbles the ball while Indiana Pacers guard Ethan Thompson defends during the second half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind., on April 12, 2026. (Trevor Ruszkowski/Imagn Images)
This series is tied up at 1-1. The Pistons won Game 2, but most of that was due to a dominant third quarter. At halftime, the game was tied. In the third, Detroit outscored Orlando by 22 points. They each had two quarters in the game, but that massive run from the Pistons gave them a lead they never surrendered. Many, including myself, have said the Pistons are likely not going to get very far in the playoffs, and I do think they are in jeopardy of losing to the Magic, as this is a tough matchup for them.
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Orlando came into this season with high expectations, and they never came anywhere close to them this year. The Magic made a major offseason trade for Desmond Bane, and that paid off, but it didn’t result in a ton of wins for the team. They had to battle to just make it to the postseason and dropped the first game to the 76ers before dominating the Hornets. In Game 1, they blitzed the Pistons, with Paolo Banchero dominating and the entire five starters scoring in double figures.
Orlando Magic’s Jalen Suggs reacts as time is called during the first half of an NBA Cup basketball game against the Philadelphia 76ers in Philadelphia on Nov. 25, 2025. (Chris Szagola/AP)
In Game 2, the team struggled. I don’t know if it was a matter of them saying they won Game 1 and took care of what they needed to, or what it was specifically. They shot really poorly, hitting just 33% from the floor, and 25% from deep. However, the game could’ve been even more out of hand as the Pistons missed 10 free throws. Orlando was also killed on the glass, with 15 fewer rebounds than Detroit.
I would love to recommend the under, and still feel like it probably hits, but we are already missing four points from the opener. It started at 217.5, but is already down to 213.5. I just don’t see Orlando shooting, or playing, as poorly as they did in Game 2. I took the points with the Magic, and even after being up 27, the Magic lost by just 15.
Orlando Magic rookie Paolo Banchero drives to the basket during his NBA debut against the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Mich., on Oct. 19, 2022. (Chris Schwegler/NBAE/Getty Images)
I think they will score over 105.5 points in this game. The teams are playing at a slower pace, but the energy from the crowd, wanting to get back, and some return to the mean will give the Magic enough points to get over this low total. The Pistons and Magic have now played six games and the Magic have scored 106 or more in four of the games.
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