Orlando Magic on Verge of Upset, Nikola Jokic and Nuggets Rebound in NBA Playoffs

The Magic have once again defeated the Detroit Pistons and are now just one victory away from advancing. The Oklahoma City Thunder comfortably secured their spot in the next round, and the Nuggets made a powerful statement against the Timberwolves.

In a fiercely contested matchup, the Magic clinched another home win against the top seed in the Eastern Conference. Franz Wagner had a strong performance but had to leave the game early due to injury. Concerns have arisen regarding the German national player’s right calf. The Oklahoma City Thunder are also celebrating, having swept their series in four games to advance to the next round, where they will face either the Lakers or the Rockets. The Denver Nuggets are also still in contention after a crucial victory against Minnesota, with their backs against the wall.

Orlando Magic (E8) — Detroit Pistons (E1) 94:88 — Series: 3-1

The Magic are just one single victory away from a sensational upset! Orlando secured their second home game at the Kia Center in Florida in a closely fought contest. In the last three years, Head Coach Jamahl Mosley’s squad has proven to be a force at home in the playoffs, boasting eight wins and only one loss.

On this particular evening, the path to a 3-1 lead was initially a rollercoaster. The Magic started with an 8-0 run in front of an energized crowd, leading by as much as 19-7 in the first quarter. However, no shots would fall afterward, with their next 13 field goal attempts missing their mark, allowing the Pistons to turn the game around. By the middle of the second quarter, Detroit held a 40-30 advantage.

The dramatic swings continued, and at halftime, Orlando was back in front 54-52. The Magic then managed to extend their lead slightly in a defensively focused third quarter (21-17). However, towards the end of the quarter, Franz Wagner had to leave the court. The German international, who had shown a strong performance on both ends of the floor (19 PTS, 7/15 FG, 5 REB, 3 AST, 4 STL, +17), complained of pain in his right calf.

«Hopefully, it will be better tomorrow,» the World and European champion said cautiously optimistic in the locker room later. He also stated his intention to undergo an MRI scan the next day. Wagner was replaced by Jamal Cain (8 PTS, 9 REB), who made a strong impact with a thunderous poster dunk that sent the fans into a frenzy.

JAMAL CAIN ATTACKS THE RIM AND THROWS IT DOWN💥

A BIG-TIME POSTER JAM IN GAME 4! pic.twitter.com/oGxTm1uRpb

— NBA (@NBA) April 28, 2026

The Magic clung to their narrow lead through the final twelve minutes. The dagger came from Desmond Bane, who hit a three-pointer with 1:16 remaining to make it 92-86. His former teammates Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. cheered from the front row. The ex-Grizzly was his team’s leading scorer with 22 points (5/10 3FG).

Paolo Banchero scored 18 points but had a much less efficient shooting night (4/18 FG, 0/4 3FG). Jalen Suggs’ shooting was even worse (5 points, 1/13 FG, 1/11 3FG). Overall, the Magic shot only 32.6% from the field. This was the fourth-worst field goal percentage in the Three-Point Era that still resulted in a playoff win. The Raptors recently set a new record on Sunday against the Cavs.

Moritz Wagner did not play. Tristan da Silva saw nearly fifteen minutes of court time, accumulating 6 points (2/4 FG) and 4 rebounds.

The Pistons were unable to capitalize on the Magic’s numerous missed shots, as they too struggled with their shooting (38% FG, 20% 3FG%). They also committed twice as many turnovers (20:10). Point guard Cade Cunningham was heavily involved in this, with 25 points (7/23 FG, 3/11 3FG, 8 TO). Co-star Jalen Duren, with 12 points, again failed to make the desired offensive impact. Tobias Harris missed all five of his three-point attempts but was still his team’s second-best scorer with 20 points. Defensively, Isaiah Stewart had a blocking party. ‘Beef Stew’ needed only 17 minutes for 8 rejections.

Game 5 will take place in Detroit on Thursday night (01:00 AM). With an away win, Orlando could become the seventh 8th seed to send the top seed into their summer vacation in the first round. Since the format was expanded to best-of-seven in 2003, the biggest upsets have only occurred in four series.

Denver Nuggets (W3) — Minnesota Timberwolves (W6) 125:113 — Series: 2-3

The Nuggets have fought back and prevented an early exit against the Timberwolves. Fueled by their home crowd, Denver was determined to avoid a fourth consecutive loss and secured an early double-digit lead.

While Minnesota will be without Anthony Edwards for the rest of the series and Donte DiVincenzo for the remainder of the season, they remained within striking distance thanks to nine three-pointers in the first half, despite numerous turnovers (14 TO).

In the final seconds before halftime, Nikola Jokic took a deep three-pointer over Rudy Gobert. The Frenchman, who had defended the ‘Joker’ brilliantly up to that point, was forced to watch helplessly as the ball swished through the net. Denver entered the locker room with a 60-51 lead and significant momentum.

JOKIĆ FROM DEEP AT THE END OF Q2 🎯

13 PTS
6 REB
10 AST

Nuggets lead by 9 at the break in Game 5! pic.twitter.com/qdbEOMqk7V

— NBA (@NBA) April 28, 2026

The Nuggets did not cool down during halftime and opened the third quarter with an 18-8 run. They concluded the quarter with another 12-6 run, effectively deciding the game before the fourth quarter (97-75).

The player of the game was Jokic, who delivered a classic performance once again. The ‘Joker’ dominated with 27 points (9/15 FG, 1/4 3FG, 8/10 FT), 12 rebounds, and 16 assists. The high number of assists was also due to the role players suddenly finding their shooting rhythm again. Spencer Jones, who had only scored eleven points in the entire series, contributed an efficient 20 points (7/9 FG, 4/5 3FG). Cam Johnson hit two of his seven three-pointers and was otherwise nearly perfect from the field (18 points, 8/13 FG).

Jamal Murray was the second-leading scorer with 24 points, though he needed almost as many shots (9/23 FG). The injured Aaron Gordon did not play.

On the other side, the T-Wolves were led by Julius Randle (27 PTS, 9 REB). Ayo Dosunmu scored 18 points (7/14 FG), while backcourt partner Mike Conley was quiet (4 PTS, 4 AST). However, Terrence Shannon Jr. (15), Bones Hyland (15), and Naz Reid (12) provided offensive spark off the bench. Reid, however, twisted his ankle. Although he returned later, he was visibly limping.

The series now heads back to Minnesota for Game 6, which will take place on Friday night.

Phoenix Suns (W8) — Oklahoma City Thunder (W1) 131:122 — Series: 0-4

The Thunder completed the sweep and became the first team in this year’s playoffs to reach the second round. Little else was expected. OKC has now won their first-round series without a loss for the third consecutive year, while the Suns have lost their tenth consecutive home playoff game.

The reigning champion shone particularly on offense, lighting it up from downtown (17/34 3FG). After Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had excelled with an efficient 42 points in Game 3 (15/18 FG), the reigning MVP once again showed his accuracy with 31 points (10/17 FG, 2/4 2FG, 9/11 FT).

Apart from Lu Dort (1 point, 0/2 FG), the rest of the starting five also contributed significantly. Ajay Mitchell scored 22 points, and both Chet Holmgren (24 PTS, 12 REB) and Isaiah Hartenstein (18 PTS, 12 REB) secured a double-double. The German big man grabbed seven offensive rebounds and repeatedly made his way to the free-throw line (8/9 FT). From the bench, Alex Caruso (14) and Cason Wallace (10) also scored in double digits.

Despite Oklahoma City’s firepower, Phoenix kept pace and initially made eleven of their 20 three-pointers. Collin Gillespie was even perfect from the field by halftime (17 points, 6/6 FG, 5/5 3FG). Nevertheless, the Suns trailed 67-75 at the break. Although Phoenix never completely fell behind after halftime, Wallace hit a three-pointer with just over six minutes remaining to make it 120-106. Gillespie missed the answering shot, and SGA followed with a layup, effectively sealing the game.

Four Suns starters broke the 20-point mark. Devin Booker was the most successful with 24 points. However, the guard also committed 6 turnovers and struggled from beyond the arc (1/6 3FG). The same applies to Jalen Green, who scored 23 points but only made one of ten three-pointers. Dillon Brooks also finished with 23 points, and Gillespie ended with 20.

While the season is over for the Suns, it is just beginning for the Thunder. «I’ve already watched all the games of the series between the Lakers and Houston. We will continue to do so, watching both teams and figuring out their strengths and weaknesses,» said Gilgeous-Alexander, outlining the game plan. OKC will face the winner of the series, where Los Angeles is currently leading 3-1, in the next round.

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