- How To Watch: FanDuel Sports Network Florida (Orlando); FanDuel Sports Network Detroit (Detroit); NBA League Pass (National)
- STREAM MAGIC-PISTONS ON FUBO TV
- How to Listen: WYGM 96.9 FM/740AM (Orlando); 97.1 FM The Ticket (Detroit); Sirius XM Channel 214 (Pistons); NBA Audio League Pass (National)
- FOLLOW LIVE: @OMAGICDAILY
- Tickets: $27-$530+ on StubHub
- Season Series: Pistons 135, Magic 116 in Detroit on Oct. 29; Tonight in Detroit (NBA Cup); March 1 in Orlando; April 6 in Orlando
Orlando Magic at Detroit Pistons: Stats and 3 Keys to Watch
Orlando | Detroit | |
|---|---|---|
100.8 | Pace | 101.2 |
117.9 | Off. Rtg. | 117.3 |
112.8 | Def. Rtg. | 110.9 |
54.7 | eFG% | 54.7 |
33.5 | O.Reb.% | 35.0 |
14.6 | TO% | 14.9 |
35.2 | FTR | 31.7 |
3. The power of the three
The Orlando Magic know how powerful the 3-point shot can be. It was the biggest thing that kept them from doing much of anything last year, as they shot the worst three-point percentage as a team in nearly a decade.
It can also be the thing that swings games.
They have sought better three-point shooting and found it in acquiring Desmond Bane, but also from internal improvement and better offensive spacing and pace.
The Detroit Pistons turned their franchise around last year by loading the team with shooters in Malik Beasley and Tim Hardaway Jr. It was a big reason why they made their leap.
Neither the Magic nor the Pistons are shooting the ball fantastically this season yet. They are a solid 35.6 and 35.4 percent, respectively -- 19th and 20th in the league overall. It is still an inconsistency that both teams are trying to work through.
That was perhaps the Pistons' biggest weakness during their 13-game winning streak. Detroit shot 36.2 percent from three during the win streak and Wednesday's loss to the Boston Celtics. They were just 11 for 36 in Wednesday's loss.
The Magic have starting to find their range from deep. In the last eight games, Orlando is shooting 38.2 percent from three.
Both teams are getting more confident from outside. And this could be a make or miss game.
2. On the offensive glass
This has remained one of the big talking points for the Orlando Magic since the beginning of the season. Winning on the glass remains vital to the team.
Early in the year, Orlando struggled a ton to secure the glass and prevent second-chance points.
In the loss to the Detroit Pistons in late October, the Orlando Magic gave up 20 points on 14 second-chance points, but just 5 for 13 shooting. Things could have been much worse in a game that was alread pretty bad.
The Pistons rate fourth in the league with a 35.0 percent offensive rebound rate (they grab more than one-third of their misses). They are just 12th in the league, though, in second-chance points per game with 16.3 per game.
Detroit leaves a lot of points on the offensive glass despire their size. The Magic do not.
Orlando is seventh in the league with a 33.5 percent offensive rebound rate. The Magic are third in the league, scoring 18.5 second-chance points per game.
In a game that could be decided on the margins, the game could be decided by who controls the offensive glass.
1. Wearing out Cade
Cade Cunningham is having a heck of a season. He is averaging 28.1 points per game and 9.3 assists per game. He is on his way not only to an All-Star berth but also an All-NBA selection. Cunningham has been the engine for the Pistons' surge.
The Orlando Magic will have a tough time defending him. Cunningham had 30 points and 10 assists in the win in late October.
That was with Jalen Suggs in the game, too.
According to NBA.com's tracking stats, Cunningham went 0 for 2 and dished out one assist when Suggs was matched up with him. The majority of his matchup came against Anthony Black, whom he scored nine points on 4-for-6 shooting with two assists.
The Magic have two guards who can contain Cunningham to some extent. But their strategy was to throw bodies at him. Their goal will surely be to keep size on him -- including Franz Wagner, who had success in that game too.
Orlando's strategy with many of the stars they have faced has seemingly been to wear them out. They got to the New York Knicks and Golden State Warriors in the fourth quarter of those games to blow them up. They slowed down the streaking Tyrese Maxey in their matchup on Tuesday.
They can throw a lot of defenders at a star player. The goal will be to wear them down heading to the fourth quarter.
Orlando Magic at Detroit Pistons: Injury Report & Projected Lineups
Orlando Magic Injury Report
- Paolo Banchero - OUT (Left Groin Strain)
- Franz Wagner - AVAILABLE (Face Mask)
- Moe Wagner - OUT (Left Knee Injury Recovery)
- Orlando Robinson - OUT (G-League Two-Way)
- Jamal Cain - OUT (G-League Two-Way)
- Colin Castleton - OUT (G-League Two-Way)
Detroit Pistons Injury Report
- Jaden Ivey - QUESTIONABLE (Return to Competition Reconditioning)
- Marcus Sasser - OUT (Right Hip Impingement)
- Bobi Klintmann - OUT (Left Ankle Sprain)
- Isaac Jones - OUT (G-League On Assignment)
- Wendell Moore Jr. - OUT (G-League Two-Way)
- Tolu Smith - OUT (G-League Two-Way)
Projected Starting Lineups
Orlando | Detroit | |
|---|---|---|
Jalen Suggs | PG | Cade Cunningham |
Desmond Bane | SG | Duncan Robinson |
Franz Wagner | SF | Ausar Thompson |
Tristan da Silva | PF | Tobias Harris |
Wendell Carter | C | Jalen Duren |
Orlando Magic at Detroit Pistons: Prediction
Our Record: 11-8/9-10 ATS
The Orlando Magic and Detroit Pistons have always been extremely close.
The Pistons got their No. 1 pick the year before the Magic did, but they essentially began the journey to the top of the Eastern Conference at the same time. They have both had to climb the ladder from the league's rock bottom.
They have done it too with the same overarching philosophy. Their success starts on the defensive end. They value size and positional strength. In a lot of ways these games have been like staring into a mirror.
In the Magic's wins, it has often come because they have two stars able to carry the scoring load. Ausar Thompson cannot defend them both.
That is why heading into this game, the Magic's supreme offensive confidence should give them a major advantage. If they can find a way to keep their pace and score against this defense, they should control this game.
The Detroit Pistons were slipping long before their streak-busting loss to the Boston Celtics. They won by only five against the struggling Indiana Pacers in the game before Wednesday's loss.
That may refocus a good defensive team in the Pistons. Or it could be a sign that they are hitting their first lull of the season.
Either way, this is the exact test both of these teams should want. It is not just about advancing in the NBA Cup. It is measuring themselves against two of the best teams in the East right now.