The Magic are embarrassing themselves – once again – to the fullest. The bad news: Match point two is gone, and it’s 3-3. The good news: It’s 3-3.
Just one day after a historic confrontation between the New York Knicks and the Atlanta Hawks, the NBA Playoffs are once again producing completely absurd statistics. The starring role: The Orlando Magic, who are experiencing a complete blackout and suffering an unbelievable defeat against the Pistons. The consequence: The Magic will start from scratch again in Detroit on Sunday – and bouncing back from embarrassments is exactly their specialty.
Orlando also loses the second game without Franz Wagner, who is out indefinitely after suffering a calf strain in Game 4. The loss means they have now squandered their second match point, as Jamahl Mosley’s team unexpectedly led 3-1 against the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.
The Magic were aiming to become only the seventh team seeded 8th or lower to eliminate the top favorite since 1983/84 (when the playoffs expanded to 16 teams). Game 5, even without Wagner, was completely acceptable. It was the little things that were missing, and they lacked the ability to more effectively disrupt the influence of Pistons superstar Cade Cunningham, something Wagner masters so perfectly. Game 6 was… well, what was it?
‘Detroit Grit’: How the Pistons Made Playoff History Themselves
On one hand, there were the Pistons, of course, who didn’t falter despite a massive deficit and chose the approach coaches preach when things go against you: Play possession by possession, defend hard, play clean, don’t look at the scoreboard. Cunningham called it ‘Detroit grit’ directly after the game. You could translate it as character, backbone, courage, or resilience. Oliver Kahn would say ‘balls’. The Pistons needed them, and the Pistons showed them.
Head Coach J.B. Bickerstaff tipped his hat to his team. He said you have to «squeeze the life out of» his men to beat them.
The result is one of the most spectacular comebacks in playoff history. In this millennium, only two other teams have come back from a deficit of 20 or more points in an elimination game (Thunder 2018, Wolves 2024).
The Magic Collapse in Game 6: Stats from Basketball Hell
However, the story of the game will be told far more often (always?) through the crashing implosion of the Magic, a collective sporting collapse rarely seen. Since there can be no logical explanation for how a team at point X suddenly stops playing basketball as if on an invisible signal, and given how fast-paced the business is – Game 7 on Sunday could completely turn the narrative on its head – the incomprehensible will be illustrated with incredibly striking numbers.
19: This is how many points, or rather few, the Magic scored in the second half. The previous record low for points in a half of an NBA playoff game was 23.
23: This is how many field goal attempts the Magic missed in an endless stretch between the third and fourth quarters. A playoff record since detailed game recording began (1996/97).
45: This is how many minutes in real-time the Magic went without a field goal in the second half. Or more precisely: Between 8:46 PM and 9:31 PM, Orlando/Florida local time, no baskets were registered in the Pistons’ hoop, apart from a few pathetic free throws.
4: This is how many field goals the Magic made in total in the second half.
37: This is how many field goal attempts the Magic took in the second half. In the final quarter alone, they attempted 20. Made: 1.
11: This is what percentage of their field goal attempts the Magic converted in the second half. Spoiler alert: The value is generously rounded up.
24: This was the lead the Magic held in the early stages of the third quarter.
More Magic Than Tragic? Orlando’s Specialty for Unexpected Turns
Despite all the astonishment at the game and the schadenfreude for the ‘Orlando Tragic,’ a turnaround is now needed and demanded. And Banchero, Bane, and company should take encouragement from the fact that there were moments this season when a reaction was required. They rallied after the devastating loss to the Toronto Raptors (87:139) at the end of March, and also after the defeats against the Boston Celtics’ reserves on the last day of the regular season and the subsequent downers in the Play-In game in Philadelphia.
However, to bounce back once again and break the momentum, it will likely require the greatest display of willpower this season.
And they will probably have to bring that on Sunday evening, increasingly likely without Franz Wagner, as there is no indication that a comeback for the 24-year-old is imminent. How they could win against the Pistons without the World and European Champion could be served as a blueprint and encouragement by Game 5.
«This is the playoffs, and this series has been a battle so far,» said Banchero. «It’s not over. Of course, it was a bitter loss. We have to put it behind us, no time to hang our heads. We can’t change anything about it now.»
The Magic have already won in Detroit once. It was an eternity ago. That was in Game 1 on April 20th. Perhaps now is the time for a completely unexpected turn and ‘magic’ instead of ‘tragic’.
NBA Playoffs 2025/26: First Round Matchups and Results
| Conference | Matchup | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Western | Thunder (1) — Suns (8) | 4-0 |
| Western | Lakers (4) — Rockets (5) | 4-2 |
| Western | Nuggets (3) — Timberwolves (6) | 2-4 |
| Western | Spurs (2) — Trail Blazers (7) | 4-1 |
| Eastern | Pistons (1) — Magic (8) | 3-3 |
| Eastern | Cavaliers (4) — Raptors (5) | 3-3 |
| Eastern | Knicks (3) — Hawks (6) | 4-2 |
| Eastern | Celtics (2) — Sixers (7) | 3-3 |