The Detroit Pistons, improbably, will play a Game 7 in the first round of the 2026 NBA playoffs against the Orlando Magic.
The 1-seed Pistons have erased a 3-1 series deficit, which included overcoming a 24-point deficit in Game 6 on the road. They used a 51-13 run, and held the 8-seed Magic to 4-for-37 shooting – including a record 23 straight consecutive misses – in the second half on Friday, May 1, to pull off a historic comeback, 93-79.
The series tied 3-3 as the Pistons attempt to become the 15th team in NBA history to rally from a 3-1 series hole. (The seventh-seeded Philadelphia 76ers became the 14th on Saturday night when they upset the 2-seed Boston Celtics.)
The good news for the Pistons: Game 7 (Sunday (3:30 p.m., ABC) is on their homecourt, where they went 32-9 during the regular season. A trip to the second round, where the Pistons haven’t been since 2008, is on the line.
“It’s been a lot of adversity so far in this series and I think we’ve learned a lot about who we are as a team and individually what we’re made out of,” Cade Cunningham said. “It’s been a fun series. We want to get back to the crib and handle our business at home.”
The best news for the Pistons: Orlando star Franz Wagner was ruled out for Sunday’s game on Saturday afternoon. The Michigan alumnus will miss his third straight game with a calf strain. Wagner was the primary defender on Cunningham, who has scored 77 points in Games 5 and 6 without Wagner in his way.
Here are three keys to success for the Pistons.
Control the boards
A clear pattern has emerged through six games – win the rebounding battle, and you win the game. The Pistons gave up 11 offensive rebounds and trailed the Magic in total rebounds, 45-39, in their Game 1 loss. Three days later, Detroit grabbed 17 offensive rebounds (and 57 total, to Orlando’s 42), in a bounce-back Game 2 win.
After struggling to impose their will in the paint through the first few games, the Pistons have adjusted and are now thriving in the trenches. They crushed Orlando on the boards in Games 5 and 6 – both wins – with a 30-16 advantage on the offensive glass. Ausar Thompson stepped up his efforts with 25 total rebounds in the two games.
Continuing to control the glass will be paramount against an Orlando team that matches well with the Pistons physically.
“It’s important,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said on Friday. “The possession game for us or any team is extremely important, making sure you’re winning the defensive battle, giving yourself an opportunity to get extra shots on goal is extremely important.”
Eliminate Paolo Banchero
The 2022 No. 1 overall pick has been inconsistent in his efficiency over his career including this playoff series. Banchero is leading Orlando in playoff scoring with 24.3 points, nine rebounds, 6.3 assists and 1.7 steals per game despite shooting just 39% overall and 28.6% from 3.
He went shot-for-shot with Cunningham in Game 5, matching his 45 points and knocking down four of his six 3-pointers in the final period in a comeback bid. But the Pistons shut him down on Friday in a lights-out defensive effort across the board, holding him to 17 points on 4-for-20 shooting. Banchero went 9-for-12 at the line but missed all nine of his 3-point attempts.
Desmond Bane is the only other scorer the Pistons need to be concerned about. Slowing Banchero down is key to shutting down Orlando’s offense for the second game in a row. Tobias Harris has been Banchero’s primary assignment, but Cunningham, Thompson and Isaiah Stewart also have had success against him.
Lean on Paul Reed as necessary
An eight-minute dose of “Bball Paul” was exactly what the Pistons needed in the second half on Friday. He consistently made the plays that too often have eluded them this series – tracking down rebounds, opportunistically finding scoring opportunities in the paint and being everywhere defensively.
It was only his second meaningful appearance in this series, after playing seven minutes in Game 3. (He checked in for the final 45 seconds of Game 1 as well, after the game was out of reach.) Bickerstaff went with him over Isaiah Stewart in the second half in Game 6, and the gamble paid off.
Reed has been an overqualified third center since he joined the team for the 2024-25 season. His ability to impact games in short spurts has translated to the postseason and helped the Pistons stave off elimination in a desperate moment.
“It’s really incredible how hard he works,” Duncan Robinson said. “He works harder than anybody you’ll find, just as hard as the hardest workers you know. Any time his number is called, he’s ready to go, comes right out there and he imposes himself on the game. I don’t think there’s any situation, basketball, that you can put him in where he’s not going to bring some type of productivity to the floor.”
Pistons vs Magic prediction for Game 7
All of the momentum is on the Pistons’ side. In overcoming a 24-point deficit in a historic Game 6 comeback on the road, they weathered the biggest punch the Magic have mustered all series. On their own floor, coming off two straight wins, the Pistons should close the series strong and progress to the next round. The pick: Pistons 99, Magic 91.
Contact Omari Sankofa II at osankofa@freepress.com. Follow him on X and/or Bluesky.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: 3 keys to success for Pistons in Game 7 vs Magic, score prediction
Reporting by Omari Sankofa II, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
