ORLANDO – A wild fourth-quarter run wasn’t enough for the Detroit Pistons to take control of the playoff series with the underdog Orlando Magic.
The Pistons fell to the Orlando Magic in Game 3, 113-105, on Saturday, April 25, at Kia Center, and now trail the series 2-1 in the 2026 NBA playoffs. Cade Cunningham (27 points, nine assists, five rebounds, nine turnovers, 8-for-23 shooting for 34.8%) led a 26-8 run in the final period to take the lead, 105-104, with 2:52 to play after the Pistons trailed by 17 with just under nine minutes to play.
But the Magic hit big shots to close out the win with the game’s final nine points. Michigan alumnus Franz Wagner (17 points) knocked down a midrange jumper and a 3-pointer to extend their lead to 109-105.
Paolo Banchero (25 points, nine assists) then delivered a dagger 3-pointer that bounced high off the back of the rim before falling through the net with 38.8 seconds remaining.
The Pistons trailed for most of the game and in several key categories, including offensive rebounds (14 to 10) and free throw attempts (33 to 22). They also struggled to contain Desmond Bane, who scored 25 points and made seven of his nine 3-point attempts.
Tobias Harris had 23 points and seven rebounds, and Ausar Thompson 17 points, eight rebounds and five blocks for the Pistons.
Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. (14 points, 17 rebounds) once again outplayed Pistons All-Star center Jalen Duren (eight points, nine rebounds, five blocks).
Teams winning Game 3 of a best-of-seven series tied at 1 win the series 73.7% of the time in NBA history. Orlando leads the series, 2-1.
Game 4 is Monday night in Orlando.
Here’s what stood out from Game 3:
Jalen Duren benched in third, responds in fourth
The All-Star version of Duren during the regular season has yet to show up in the playoffs. He had a rough first half on both ends, going 2-for-6 from the floor with both field goals courtesy of alley-oop lobs.
Early in the third quarter, Duren had Wagner in the post and couldn’t capitalize, with Wagner poking the ball away. On the other end, he needlessly fouled Banchero and gave up a 3-point play.
Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff had seen enough, and benched him with 9:09 left in the third for third center Paul Reed, who brought energy into the game. Reed tallied four points and five rebounds in seven minutes, but never re-entered.
Duren didn’t check back in until the 10:05 mark of the fourth, after the Pistons fell behind by 15 points.
He was better to close the game, stepping up his defensive effort as the Pistons took the lead with a furious run. Duren grabbed three offensive rebounds and blocked two shots during the run, his most productive stretch of the game. But he fouled out with 1:07 remaining after going for a block on a Carter layup attempt.
Ausar Thompson’s sensational two-way performance
Thompson, the Defensive Player of the Year finalist, also was the Pistons’ best offensive player through the first half. He had a game-high 15 points in the half on 6-for-7 shooting, with three blocks and a steal. He was the bright spot for a team suffering through another lethargic first half.
It was his usual blend on offense – steals leading to fastbreak buckets, alley-oop finishes – mixed with braver shotmaking than usual. He punished the Magic for leaving him open by stepping into a midrange jumper on the baseline, and later finished a turnaround jumper over Jalen Suggs, taking advantage of the size difference.
Defensively, he was everywhere. Thompson rejected a layup attempt by Wagner to end the first quarter and swatted another layup attempt. It was his strongest performance of the series and an encouraging one for a team that has needed help on the offensive end, specifically in the halfcourt.
Pistons Magic schedule in playoffs
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Cade Cunningham, Jalen Duren and Pistons flop vs Magic in Game 3 loss, 113-105
Reporting by Omari Sankofa II, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
