Bianchi: Powered by Paolo and Franz, the Magic didn’t just steal Game 1; they flipped the script on the top-seeded Pistons

If this truly is a new season, the Magic are off to a convincing start. Beyond the aesthetics of the win, there was something else at play Sunday night; something far more meaningful for a franchise trying to take the next step.

They finally won on the road in the postseason.

Under Mosley, the Magic had been 0-8 away from home in playoff and play-in games over the past three years. Close calls, missed opportunities and hard lessons had defined those trips. All of that baggage walked into Detroit with them, and none of it walked out. Instead, the Magic morphed from road worriers into road warriors, while the Pistons added another chapter to a troubling trend. Detroit has now lost 11 straight home playoff games as a franchise, a streak that suddenly feels a lot more relevant in this series.

And this is where things get uncomfortable for the top seed. Why? Because this matchup suddenly looks like a worst-case scenario for Detroit: a mostly healthy Orlando team that is finally playing like the Paolo-and-Franz tandem it was always meant to be. For the first time all season, both stars controlled the game — just at different times.

Paolo Banchero set the tone early with an aggressive, assertive first half that dictated the flow of the game. He scored 17 of his 23 points before halftime, attacking the rim, knocking down perimeter shots and making plays for others. He didn’t wait for the game to come to him; he imposed himself on it. A no-look alley-oop to Wendell Carter Jr. brought the Magic bench to life and underscored how comfortable he looked running the offense.

This is the version of Banchero the Magic need; not just productive, but authoritative.

Then, when the game tightened in the fourth quarter, Franz Wagner took over. After a slow start in which he missed six of his first seven shots, Wagner found his rhythm when it mattered most, scoring 11 of his 19 points in the final period. He closed the game with poise, making big shots and bigger decisions, including a perfectly placed alley-oop to Jalen Suggs that stretched the lead to 12 with just over two minutes remaining and effectively sent fans toward the exits.

“Obviously, we didn’t have the regular season that we wanted,” Wagner said. “… But I think we showed tonight that we belong here.”

Suggs, meanwhile, embodied everything the Magic want to be defensively. His 16 points were important, but they didn’t fully capture his impact. He was relentless on the perimeter, turning every possession into a physical battle and disrupting Detroit’s rhythm with his constant pressure. He dove for loose balls, fought through contact and made life miserable for the Pistons’ guards.

Wendell Carter Jr. added another layer to the performance with 17 points on 8-of-9 shooting, continuing his strong play from the play-in game and providing a steady interior presence on both ends of the floor. Altogether, Orlando’s starting lineup accounted for 92 of the team’s 112 points, a sign not just of balance, but of cohesion.

What made the win even more impressive was the context. The Magic won despite the Pistons living at the free-throw line in the second half, holding a 21-5 advantage. Despite Pistons superstar Cade Cunningham delivering a brilliant performance with a playoff career-high 39 points. Despite Magic guard Desmond Bane, clearly under the weather, struggling from beyond the arc but still managing to contribute 17 points.

Winning despite adversity, more than anything, is what stands out. Just days ago, this was a team being questioned from every angle after a frustrating loss to a short-handed Celtics squad to close the regular season. Now, they look like a team rediscovering its identity at exactly the right time.

And while it’s only one game, it’s not insignificant. If the Magic continue to defend, respond and play with this level of cohesion, this won’t look like a typical 1-versus-8 matchup for long. It will look like a real series, one that could define the trajectory of this team moving forward.

The Magic haven’t advanced past the first round since 2010, a drought that has haunted the franchise for more than a decade.

Game 1 didn’t decide the series, but it changed the conversation. Now, the question isn’t whether the Magic belong on this stage.

It’s whether the Pistons are ready for what the Magic are rapidly becoming.

Email me at mbianchi@orlandosentinel.com. Hit me up on social media @BianchiWrites and listen to my radio show “Game On” every weekday from 3 to 6 p.m. on FM 96.9, AM 740 and 969TheGame.com/listen