Biggest questions Pistons must answer for Game 2 vs Orlando Magic

Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren (0) defends Orlando Magic guard Anthony Black (0) during the second half of Game 1 of the first round of the NBA playoffs at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Sunday, April 19, 2026.

Unlocking his game will be paramount to the Pistons' success on Wednesday. The Pistons led the league in points in the paint during the regular season but were dominated there on Sunday, 54-34, in part because of Duren's inability to get going. One counter on Wednesday could involve Duren receiving the ball on the elbow, where he can find shooters and cutters or face up opposing bigs.

"It makes us make smarter reads," Duren said of Orlando's strategy. "It makes us, you get in the paint and you have to kick it out, find shooters. You have to keep moving it. You have to move those bodies, you can’t really be stagnant and you’ve got to play with some pace. If we’re playing with pace and getting the ball side to side and getting downhill, kicking out, finding Duncan (Robinson), finding Tobias (Harris) and just moving with a sense of urgency, you’re able to negate their size and their physicality."

Is there a bigger role for Ausar Thompson?

After finishing third in the Defensive Player of the Year race, Thompson played 25 minutes – the least of the starters – nine in the second half and three in the fourth quarter. He was on the bench as the Magic caught fire in the final period, making their first six shots to sustain an eight-point lead.

It wasn't a perfect night from Thompson, who finished with eight points, seven rebounds, three steals, an assist and three turnovers on 3-for-7 shooting. But in a game the Pistons struggled to generate stops or create disruption, his absence was noticeable. Bickerstaff stuck with Daniss Jenkins down the stretch in order to relieve Cunningham of some playmaking responsibilities.

It worked as far as getting Cunningham going – he scored 16 points in the final period. But it was futile against the Magic's offense, which shot 14-for-21 (66.7%) in the fourth and outscored the Pistons, 31-27. Without a stronger defensive effort, they will have a tough time keeping pace with Orlando.

"It's one of those balancing acts that you're trying to figure out in the moment of what you need," Bickerstaff said. "Having more ballhandlers on the floor, being able to take Cade off the ball some to free him up, so you're balancing that. He was able to be aggressive in that quarter and find some success off the ball. It's one of those things that you're trying to figure out what the team needs now and we know how important A.T. is for us, and he'll have a consistent role as always because we know how impactful he is, especially down the stretch."

Pistons vs Magic score prediction for Game 2

The Pistons we saw on Sunday weren't the Pistons we saw win 60 games during the regular season. They struggled to match Orlando's energy and force from the jump, and struggled to sustain their usual effort on both ends of the floor. They led the East in the regular season because they've had a tendency to bounce back from bad losses. My prediction is that they'll convincingly snap their 11-game playoff losing streak at home, which dates back to the Palace of Auburn Hills. The pick: Pistons 115, Magic 103.

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Contact Omari Sankofa II at osankofa@freepress.com. Follow him on X and/or Bluesky.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Pistons vs Magic score prediction in Game 2, X-factor, key questions