The Orlando Magic knew that the Detroit Pistons would come out with desperation.
They knew that they were going to get a heavy punch from the top seed in the East going back home for Game 5. The odds were against them to clinch their spot in the next round. Going on the road is never easy, even with the confidence of a Game 1 victory.
The Pistons delivered that punch, getting the Magic into the bonus within the first seven possessions of the game and building as much as a 17-point lead in the first half.
Cade Cunningham put in an all-time performance with 45 points, counteracting Paolo Banchero's 45-point showing. It was exactly what a team on the brink of elimination needed to do.
The Pistons and their star came into Game 5 with the mentality that they would not lose on their home floor and played with the intensity to match.
"[I just came in with] a 'never doubt' mentality," Cunningham said after Game 5. "I just wanted to have controlled aggression all night and make sure they felt me. I don’t want the season to end right now so I have to put it all on the line."
That is what a star player and a team is supposed to do when facing elimination. The Pistons threw everything at the Magic and made sure not to repeat the mistakes of Games 3 and 4, where the Magic were first to every loose ball.
The defining play of the game saw Ausar Thompson -- with an impressive 6-point, 15-rebound, 6-assist, 5-steal performance -- beat out Jalen Suggs to a key rebound, setting up Cade Cunningham to drain a jumper with 30 seconds left to put the Pistons up five.
They took control and held on to defend their home floor. Now it is the Magic's turn to do the same.
One game at a time
The Detroit Pistons had to do whatever it took to win the game in Game 5. That is what will be necessary in Game 6 for both teams.
This is what late-series games are like. They are bout will as much as about execution. The team that plays the hardest has been the one to win.
Detroit had a tall hill ahead of it down 3-1. It needed to get just the first game before it could worry about the second game. This was the first time the Pistons had their backs against the wall.
"I mean, it was do or die, right? So, no matter what the moment was, no matter who they put out there on the floor, we knew that if we wanted our season to continue, we were going to have to give it all we had," Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said after Game 5. "I think [Wednesday] we did a great job of that. It’s a simple formula. I think people put a lot of weight on it, but it’s one at a time."
Detroit still has the mindset of taking this one game at a time. That is all the Pistons can do.
That is what they will try to do again in Game 6.
Urgency to match?
The Orlando Magic said they wanted to play with the same urgency. Matching it on the road was difficult -- and the early foul trouble put the team on its back foot.
But the Magic did come back successfully, cutting the 17-point first-half deficit to two midway through the third quarter. They cut a 15-point fourth-quarter deficit to three in the final minute.
Orlando showed it can answer the bell, even with Detroit throwing the kitchen sink at the team.
The Magic have had their backs against the wall before. They rallied to put on a crushing performance against the Charlotte Hornets in the Play-In Tournament. Orlando will try to tap into that desperation again.
The Orlando Magic should expect another frenzied effort. It is on them to match it and beat a Detroit Pistons team that found some reason for confidence again on their home floor.
Orlando remained confident because the team cut into that deficit. The Magic lamented their mistakes -- the offensive rebounds and, especially, the missed free throws. Those were all things they felt they could clean up in time for Game 6.
"It's a must-win," Wendell Carter said in the locker room after Game 5. "We saw how desperate they were. We need to be as desperate as they were, if not more. We don't want to come back here."
Expecting a raucous home crowd, the Magic are eager to finish this series off and avoid a Game 7 on the road. The Magic are not in a must-win scenario, per se. But they want to play like it.
Closing on their home floor is vital.
Pistons won the day, who wins Game 6?
But the Detroit Pistons won the day on Wednesday. They played more like themselves and played more like the brand they want to play.
Detroit was the harder-hitting and harder-working team. The Pistons won all the hustle plays and 50/50 balls. That is what led to the team's victory.
"Just like we said, backs against the wall, giving our all," Tobias Harris said after Game 5. "We don't want to come in with any regrets after the game. That’s our approach. Obviously, we put ourselves in this position, but that is what it is. It's about us being proactive and figuring out a way in these moments. We were able to do it tonight."
There is still clearly work for the Pistons to do heading into Game 6.
The proof will be in how the Magic play.
That is how this series has gone. The team that works the hardest -- winning the offensive glass, limiting turnovers and defending the hardest -- has been the one to win.
And closeout games are always the hardest regardless of where they take place. This is indeed a must-win for the Magic.
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