The Orlando Magic provided a playoff shocker last Monday by taking down the top seed in the East, the Detroit Pistons. Will the Magic do it again in Game 2? Or, will the Pistons wake up and hit back at Paolo Banchero and company?

Catch this game live on Thursday, April 23, 2026 at 7:00 AM, Manila time.

Away: Orlando Magic (1-0)

Projected Starting Five:

  • Jalen Suggs
  • Desmond Bane
  • Franz Wagner
  • Paolo Banchero
  • Wendell Carter Jr.

Can the Magic do it again? Paolo Banchero defied expectations and pulled off a shocker in Game 1, defeating Detroit in enemy territory to the tune of a 112-101 score.  Orlando has always been a talented bunch, but inconsistency hurt them in the regular season and nearly got them eliminated in the Play-in Tournament. 

But in Game 1 of the Pistons series, they reminded everyone how capable they are of winning on any given night against any opponent. Banchero silenced his critics with 23 points on 8/15 shooting in the series opener, while Franz Wagner delivered 19 points on 7/13 shooting. Wendell Carter Jr. outplayed Jalen Duren and put up an efficient 17-point (8/9 FG) performance to go with seven boards and five assists. 

With momentum on their side and the comforting thought that no matter what happens this Thursday, they will not be behind the eight-ball when the series shifts to their home for Game 3 and Game 4, the Magic will look to push Detroit closer to the edge this Thursday.

Home: Detroit Pistons (1-0)

Projected Starting Five:

  • Cade Cunningham
  • Duncan Robinson
  • Ausar Thompson
  • Tobias Harris
  • Jalen Duren

Maybe it was really just rust that slowed down Detroit in Game 1. The Pistons had a long rest between their regular-season finale and the series opener against Orlando, enough time for some rust to build up. 

In any case, that can no longer be an excuse for Detroit this time, as it returned to action just last Monday. Clearly, things went wrong for the Pistons in Game 1. Duren, a double-double machine in the regular season, coughed up just eight points and pulled down seven rebounds. He needs to be more aggressive after taking just four attempts from the field in the loss to Orlando. 

Detroit’s bench collectively shot just 4/16. The Pistons’ vaunted defense surrendered 54 points in the paint to the Magic, who also shot 49% from the floor. One bad game doesn’t define the Pistons. The real Detroit team may just stand up and show the Magic what it’s really made of.

Picks

Spread: Detroit Pistons (-9.0)
Over/Under: Over (218.5)