The surging Orlando Magic are looking for their eighth win in the last nine games on Saturday when they host the visiting Detroit Pistons.
Orlando is returning home from a three-game Western road trip where they went 2-1. They bounced back from a 104-93 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday with a 119-118 win over the Lakers on Thursday.
In their win against the Lakers, the Magic overcame a combined 70 points from LeBron James and Anthony Davis, thanks to Franz Wagner’s 37 points and 11 assists. Jalen Suggs added 23 points, and Moritz Wagner contributed 19 points off the bench.
Franz Wagner scored 15 of his team-high points in the fourth quarter, including a game-winning step-back three-pointer with 3.3 seconds remaining. This performance marked his fourth game with 30 or more points in the last six outings. He is averaging a career-best 23.2 points per game this season and shooting 35 percent from beyond the arc, a significant improvement from last season’s 28.1 percent.
After games in Los Angeles and a 109-99 win in Phoenix on Monday, Orlando returns home undefeated this season. The Magic held opponents to 94 points or fewer in all five games of a homestand from November 8-15, bolstering the NBA’s lowest scoring yield of 103.2 points per game.
Detroit enters Saturday’s matchup having scored 120 points or more in four of its last six games, although three of those went to overtime. The Pistons’ latest overtime contest ended in a 123-121 loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday.
Cade Cunningham scored 27 points and dished out 10 assists for his ninth double-double of the season and fifth in a row. During this stretch, Cunningham also recorded a triple-double with 21 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in a 124-104 win over Washington on Sunday. He is averaging 23.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 8.9 assists per game, ranking fourth in the NBA for assists.
Against Charlotte, the Pistons couldn’t overcome a 20-point third-quarter deficit or a combined 73 points from Brandon Miller (38) and LaMelo Ball (35).
The Pistons have made significant progress from last season when they endured the longest single-season losing streak in NBA history at 28 games. With seven wins so far this season, they are halfway to matching last season’s win total.
Offseason acquisition Tobias Harris has played a key role in the turnaround, averaging 14.2 points and 7.5 rebounds per game.
