Detroit — The Detroit Pistons completed an improbable comeback on Friday night. After the Orlando Magic built a 24-point lead at the start of the third quarter, the Pistons intensified their efforts on both ends of the court and executed a strategic plan to secure a 93-79 victory in Game 6 on Friday night at Kia Center.
The Pistons’ win allowed them to avoid elimination for the second consecutive game after trailing 3-1 in the best-of-seven first-round series.
The Pistons now have an opportunity to secure their first playoff series win since 2008, as they host Game 7 at Little Caesars Arena Sunday afternoon. After a remarkable comeback, the Pistons are returning to Detroit with a surge of momentum. However, there are three key attributes the Pistons must take to successfully complete their comeback from a 3-1 deficit.
“Just digging deep — having your back against the wall really shows who you are,” Cade Cunningham said. “There has been a lot of adversity so far in the series. I think we have learned a lot about who we are as a team and as individuals, and what we are made of. It has been a fun series. We want to get back to the crib and handle our business at home.”
Putting together a full 48-minute game
Although they once trailed the series 3-1, the Pistons have repeatedly demonstrated that they are the superior team. Before their remarkable comeback, the Pistons’ best performance came during their 98-83 victory in Game 2 on April 22, when they outscored the Magic 38-16 in the third quarter, ultimately leading to a double-digit win.
Nearly every victory the Pistons have recorded in the first six games came as a result of fighting back from a deficit. Outside of Game 5, the Pistons have consistently started slowly in each game, and at times, their sluggish starts have led to deficits they could not overcome. It has been an ongoing issue since their 112-101 Game 1 loss to the Magic on April 19.
In Game 7, the Pistons need to impose their will early on both ends of the court. The sooner they can establish and maintain their dominance, the less likely the Magic are to find a rhythm in this must-win game.
“Hopefully we will start the game (Game 7) like how we finished this game,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “That is going to be extremely important for us. If we come out with the type of pressure we played with tonight to start the second half — I expect us to do what we do, and that’s keep swinging.”
Offensive rebounding and winning 50-50 balls
One reason the Pistons were able to complete their 24-point comeback was their ability to control the glass. Detroit outrebounded the Magic 35-17 in the second half, which gave the Pistons the possession advantage. The biggest improvement came in their ability to keep Orlando from collecting offensive rebounds, as they limited the Magic to just two amid their comeback.
In their three victories, however, the Magic averaged 13.7 offensive rebounds, resulting in an average of 15.7 second-chance points. Their dominance was most evident in the first half of Game 6, when the Magic built a 22-point lead by converting six offensive rebounds into 13 second-chance points.
Many of the Pistons’ struggles in allowing offensive rebounds stem from losing 50-50 balls, as they are often outhustled. In Game 7, the Pistons cannot afford to be a step behind.
“The possession game for us and for any team is extremely important,” Bickerstaff said. “Making sure you are winning the defensive battle, allowing yourself to get each shot is important.”
A breakout game from J.D.
Outside of providing solid rim protection, Jalen Duren has struggled greatly against the Magic. Duren has looked far from the player who had established himself as the Pistons’ second All-Star, given his averages of 9.8 points on 52.3% shooting from the field. A major flip-flop from the career-high of 19.5 points on 65.0% shooting he produced during the regular season.
However, Duren’s struggles have not been due to his own lack of aggression or his teammates’ failure to get him the ball. The primary issue has been the Magic’s commitment to their defensive strategy, which focuses on preventing Duren from establishing a scoring rhythm by collapsing the paint whenever he receives an entry pass.
Duren has performed slightly better in the last two games, seemingly finding a small breakthrough against Orlando’s defense. Since most of the Magic’s defensive attention will be on Cunningham, Game 7 presents the perfect opportunity for Duren to re-establish himself as a dominant big man. A near 25-point performance from Duren will give the Pistons the best chance to complete the franchise’s second 3-1 comeback against the Magic.
“He is such a talented player and has done so much for us all year,” Duncan Robinson said. “I think there is a bit of a misconception about how he is talked about publicly. But in this series, we just need him to be himself. We do not need him to be anything other than what he has been for us all year. We believe in him. We are going to ride with him no matter what.”
NBA Playoffs, first round: No. 8 Magic vs. No. 1 Pistons
Series tied, 3-3
Game 1: Magic 112, Pistons 101
Game 2: Pistons 97, Magic 83
Game 3: Magic 113, Pistons 105
Game 4: Magic 94, Pistons 88
Game 5: Pistons 116, Magic 109
Game 6: Pistons 93, Magic 79
x-Game 7: at Detroit, Sunday, May 3, 3:30 (ABC)
x-If necessary
coty.davis@detroitnews.com
@cotydavis_24
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: For Pistons, 3 things must happen to complete 3-1 comeback vs. Magic
Reporting by Coty M. Davis, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
