The Orlando Magic, seeded eighth, stunned the top-seeded Detroit Pistons with a 112-101 victory in Game 1 of their playoff series on Sunday. The Magic never trailed after Jalen Suggs opened the scoring with a three-pointer.
Orlando established an early 35-27 lead after the first quarter. Despite Detroit rallying to tie the game in the third and applying pressure in the fourth, the Magic consistently responded and never surrendered the lead. Franz Wagner was pivotal down the stretch, scoring 11 of his 19 points in the final quarter to seal the road upset.
The Magic's win gives them a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. They aim to become just the seventh No. 8 seed in NBA history to win a first-round playoff series. According to ESPN, the Pistons are the first No. 1 seed since 1997-98 to never hold a lead in their playoff opener.
Orlando's victory was a balanced team effort, with all five starters scoring at least 16 points. Paolo Banchero led with 23 points and 9 rebounds. The Magic's defense held the Pistons to 40% shooting, well below their season average. Detroit's Cade Cunningham scored a game-high 39 points but received limited support.
The Magic, who fought through the play-in tournament to reach the playoffs, now hold home-court advantage. Game 2 is scheduled for Wednesday in Detroit.