Detroit — Midway through the first quarter, Orlando Magic forward Goga Bitadze held the ball and attempted to establish a triple-threat position, but he struggled because of the intense defensive pressure from Isaiah Stewart. As a result, Bitadze switched his pivot foot, leading to a turnover.
The fans inside Little Caesars Arena erupted in cheers as Stewart celebrated the defensive play, screaming as he ran back to the offensive end. This defensive stop, combined with the passion and celebration, was a glimpse of the intensity and emotion the Detroit Pistons displayed throughout Game 2.
“That’s who I am. I don’t have to fake it. I’m cut from that cloth,” Stewart said. “Everybody who knows me knows that’s just who I am. I don’t feel that weight because it’s just who I am. I enjoy carrying this team’s identity. That’s what I was drafted here for and to hear J.B. say that [I embody that identity] and to see it come to light is just great.”
They maintained their energy, effort and passion throughout the night, leading to a 98-83 victory over the Orlando Magic on Wednesday. The Pistons not only tied their first-round series at 1-1 but also ended an 11-game home playoff losing streak, which was the worst in the league.
“It means a lot. Obviously, we’ve heard it. [We] heard it last year, but it’s good for us. But, game three is the game that we have to be ready for,” forward Tobias Harris said. “It’s obviously great for our fans to be able to be in our arena to give us that support. They’re huge for us. They’ve been huge for us all season long. To get a big victory for them is awesome, but we have to go on the road and handle business.”
BOX SCORE: Pistons 98, Magic 83
Cade Cunningham led the Pistons with a team-high 27 points, 11 assists, and six rebounds. Unlike in Game 1, the All-Star guard received plenty of support. Five players scored in double figures, which included Jalen Duren, who finished with 11 points and nine rebounds.
Ausar Thompson battled through foul trouble to add 11 points, eight rebounds, two steals and a block. Harris notched a double-double of 15 points and 11 rebounds. Detroit’s bench unit also contributed to the Pistons’ bounce-back performance by adding 23 points. Stewart led the way with 10 points, five rebounds and a block off the bench.
“We knew it was going to be a tough series,” Cunningham said. “We dropped Game 1 and knew we had to play better. There was a lot to learn from and a lot to get better at. Today was a good step in the right direction for us. We feel good. It’s still going to be a long series. Even this win doesn’t change anything.”
Every player who stepped onto the court for the Pistons displayed the same emotion as Stewart. One of the standout moments occurred at the 7:21 mark of the third quarter when Duncan Robinson (10 points) hit his second 3-point field goal of the night. The basket contributed to an impressive 18-3 run that the Pistons initiated at the start of the third period.
Robinson’s shot prompted Magic coach Jamahl Mosley to call a timeout while the Pistons celebrated on their way to the huddle. His triple was merely a glimpse of the Pistons’ dominance during the quarter.
Detroit would go on to outscore Orlando 38-16 during the period. The Pistons shot 14 of 23 from the field and 3 of 6 from three-point range. Defensively, Detroit held the Magic to 29.4% shooting from the field and 25.0% from beyond the arc, while also forcing six turnovers. They originally opened the quarter on a 30-2 run.
“We just played defense. It’s that simple,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “When we play defense at the level we’re capable of, it triggers everything for us. We can be an elite defensive team, a disruptive defensive team that pushes, and get us transition easy baskets, and that’s what we did.”
Emotions ran high for 48 minutes, but the most sentimental moment occurred away from the sellout crowd. In the home locker room, Bickerstaff held a tense meeting at halftime with the score tied at 46. He was frustrated with his players continually saying ‘my bad’ and apologizing for the mediocre performance they displayed in the first two quarters, despite a better start than in Game 1.
One of the biggest issues the Pistons had in the first half was the 11 offensive rebounds the Magic pulled down, which led to 10 second-chance points.
Stewart noted that Bickerstaff stressed the importance of his players performing at their best in the second half. He wanted them to uphold the standards that led the team to win 60 games during the regular season — no more excuses.
“J.B. had some words in the locker room, and that lit a fire under us to press even more and separate ourselves,” Stewart said. “He has a great job of saying the right things to get us going.”
Jalen Suggs led Orlando with 19 points. Paolo Banchero finished with 18 points, eight assists and six rebounds. As a whole, the Magic scored just 37 points in the second half on 32.4% shooting from the field and 25.0% on 3-point shooting.
“They started to try to speed us up with ball pressure. And just not letting us get into what we try and get into. But I think it was more so us,” Banchero said. “I think we just tried to get into some things that they blew up. Then, defensively, we gave up some buckets. They got a couple turnovers and just runs like that you can’t let happen on the road [in the] Playoffs.”
Observations and notes
The first inside LCA: The Pistons’ Game 2 victory marked the first postseason win for a Detroit sports team at Little Caesars Arena.
Defense set the tone: The Pistons played up to their standards throughout the night, which came by demonstrating better defense. They concluded the game with 11 blocks and nine steals, showing a complete turnaround from their poor showing in Game 1. They lived up to their defensive identity in the first quarter, recording seven blocks — tying for their most rejections in a quarter for a postseason game in franchise history. They concluded Game 1 with six blocks.
Green making an impact: Bickerstaff recognized that one of his mistakes in Game 1 was not sticking with the player who had the hot hand, specifically Javonte Green, who significantly contributed to the Pistons bouncing back from a slow start. However, Green only played a little over four minutes in that game.
In Game 2, Bickerstaff called on Green again, but this time he kept him in the game. Green played a crucial role in helping the Pistons maintain their defensive identity, contributing with a team-high three blocks in 23 minutes.
“We truly believe we have the best bench unit in the league. That’s the belief we play with,” Stewart said. “I thought we did a great job of doing our job tonight; coming in and helping propel us forward. We have to continue to do that and just build off of it.”
coty.davis@detroitnews.com
@cotydavis_24
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Pistons bounce back with decisive win over Magic, series tied 1-1
Reporting by Coty M. Davis, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
