Orlando Magic refuse to celebrate too soon after Game 1 victory

DETROIT -- As members of the media came into the locker room, veteran guard Jevon Carter was heard bellowing a reminder to teammates -- or perhaps a dictum to those who would write about the game:

"Don't drink the Kool-Aid."

That message did not originate with the veteran shouting as the media came into the team's space. It was something Paolo Banchero said as the team celebrated its victory in the locker room, as revealed on the team's social media page.

But that was the vibe for the Magic.

They accomplished something they have not done in a very long time with their 112-101 victory over the Detroit Pistons in Game 1. It was the first road Playoff victory since the 2019 D.J. Augustin shot against the Toronto Raptors (the 2020 Playoffs were played in the Bubble).

They gained control over the series and have sent the Pistons into three days of questions before they must prove they can make this a series. All the pressure is on Detroit now to even the series and avoid trailing 2-0 as the series shifts to Orlando.

That is something to accomplish. But the Magic are also clearly not satisfied.

"You can be happy that you go tthe win, that's fine," coach Jamahl Mosley said after Sunday's win. "And that's part of this game. This is a seven-game series for a reason. But you don't want to act surprised that this is something you are not capable of doing. Everything that we're doing in this moment from here on out is about the mindset. If you act surprised, then when you get hit in the face, you are not going to know how to respond back. Our guys need to keep remembering that this is what we know we're capable of doing."

The Magic now know they can beat the Pistons. They know they can win on the road now too.

But they know one win is not the job. Orlando still believes it can advance out of the first round and achieve its preseason goals. And there is still a lot of work to do to get there.

Lots of praise

It is quite amazing how quickly the conversation around the Orlando Magic has changed.

A week ago, everyone was down on the team after the loss to the Boston Celtics and the loss to the Philadelphia 76ers in the Play-In game. They looked as bad as they have looked all season, with an aimless offense.

Now, everyone is singing their praises. The Magic's victory over the Pistons was THE story in the league throughout Monday.

Suddenly, the Magic are the team on the rise.

Orlando wants to temper that reaction. For as little winning as the Magic have done in the Playoffs, they have enough experience to know that one win does not win a series and that the Pistons are going to punch back -- and that their punch back is quite hard.

"It's just a good win for us as a team on the road against a great team," Paolo Banchero said after Sunday's win. "But at the end of the day, we have to come back Wednesday and reciprocate it. They aren't going to lay down. If anything, they are going to turn it up. We've got to be ready for that. It's just a one game at a time mentality. That's what it's got to be. It's first to four."

The Pistons did win 60 games this year, after all. They played their first game in a week. The rust showed, only adding to the physicality the Magic brought that has the league believing this will be a much more competitive series.

The Pistons will surely respond. This was the second-best defense in the league. Orlando will need a sharp effort to match their Game 1 with a Game 2 win.

The narrative can change dramatically after Wednesday's game.

But the Magic are not an 8-seed filled with guys who have never been in the playoffs before. This is a team that has been through some playoff battles, even though they have yet to win a series.

There is enough experience to know how to approach these things and this series. Orlando knows it cannot rest on its laurels and the work is just beginning.

Uncharted waters

Still, this is something this group has never done.

Winning on the road was a rallying cry after the home team won all seven games in their 2024 series against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Magic got blown out in all three road games in Boston last year. They even lost the Play-In game on the road to the Philadelphia 76ers.

There were a lot of demons to exorcise. Winning on the road -- let alone taking a series lead for the first time too -- was a meaningful thing for the Magic that brought their energy levels up after the game. Just as it has led to a surge in confidence.

"It means a ton," Jalen Suggs said after Sunday's game. "We were just talking about it in the locker room. It's a completely different feeling. Winning at home, you have a lot of juice. The crowd is big on your runs. It feels a bit easier because you have that momentum built in. Here, it's got to come from the 15 and the coaching staff. I think today we did a good job from the get-go, coming out and throwing the first punch and sustaining that energy and not letting it drop off."

That is what stood out about Sunday's win.

Every time the Pistons made a push to take the lead, the Magic had an answer. The Magic had the early blitz that set the tone and gave them a 13-point lead. But the Pistons still tied the game midway through the third quarter.

Orlando calmly went on a 14-3 run to re-establish a double-digit lead, beginning with a Paolo Banchero jumper over Jalen Duren and including three-pointers from Desmond Bane (his only of the game) and Anthony Black.

At various points throughout the game, somebody stepped up with a big shot, whether it was Paolo Banchero and Jalen Suggs early, Desmond Bane and Wendell Carter in the third quarter or Franz Wagner in the fourth. It was a complete team effort.

"It's hard to win in this league," Bane said in the locker room after Sunday's win. "You have to understand what type of mindset they will come out with Wednesday. I expect them to try to be extremely physical, and the crowd is going to be into it. We have to go get another one."

Banchero simply said the game was a step in the right direction. Nothing more.

The Magic will need to be ready for a different game and a more physical effort in Game 2.

Orlando has not accomplished anything in this series yet. This was merely a broadside shot to open the series.

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