Orlando Magic (43-36) beat Detroit Pistons (57-22) 123-107 at home on Monday, April 6, never trailing at a quarter break.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Magic struck first, taking the opening quarter 30-28 and a 2-point lead after one. The Magic kept the pressure on with a 39-27 second quarter, carrying a 14-point lead into halftime.
The Magic won the third 29-21 to create some separation, taking a 22-point lead into the fourth. The Pistons took the fourth 31-25; the Magic held on for a 123-107 regulation win.
What decided it
The Magic made 37 free throws per 100 field-goal attempts, compared with 15.3 for the Pistons. The Magic took better care of the ball, turning it over on 13.1% of possessions compared with 18.2% for the Pistons. The points at the line gave them room for error elsewhere.
At roughly 106 possessions per team, the Magic produced 116.6 points per 100 possessions to 101.4 for the Pistons.
Who made the difference
Paolo Banchero was the game's biggest individual force for ORL: 31 pts, 5 reb, 3 ast, 3 stl on 10-16 shooting. His Game Score of 28 led everyone. His team was +23 with him on the floor.
Javonte Green led the Pistons with 17 pts, 6 reb, 2 ast, 3 stl on 6-13 shooting, good for a 16.1 Game Score.
Jalen Suggs (12 pts, 6 reb, 12 ast) recorded a double-double.
What it means
The pre-game Win Meter had it close to a coin flip, at about 37% for the Magic.
Across the last 6 meetings in our records, the series is even.
The Magic are now 43-36, and the Pistons are 57-22. The Magic last five before this game: L-W-L-W-W.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.