Cade Cunningham gets little help, Pistons stunned in Game 1 by Magic 112-101

Game 1 of first round of NBA Playoff between Detroit Pistons and Orlando Magic at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Sunday, April 19, 2026.

Game 1 of first round of NBA Playoff between Detroit Pistons and Orlando Magic at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Sunday, April 19, 2026.

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Pistons open 2026 NBA playoffs with Game 1 vs Orlando Magic

Game 1 of first round of NBA Playoff between Detroit Pistons and Orlando Magic at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Sunday, April 19, 2026.

1 / 3

Pistons open 2026 NBA playoffs with Game 1 vs Orlando Magic

Game 1 of first round of NBA Playoff between Detroit Pistons and Orlando Magic at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Sunday, April 19, 2026.

2 / 3

Pistons open 2026 NBA playoffs with Game 1 vs Orlando Magic

Game 1 of first round of NBA Playoff between Detroit Pistons and Orlando Magic at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Sunday, April 19, 2026.

3 / 3

Pistons open 2026 NBA playoffs with Game 1 vs Orlando Magic

Game 1 of first round of NBA Playoff between Detroit Pistons and Orlando Magic at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Sunday, April 19, 2026.

Orlando (45-37 in the regular season) was led by 23 points from Paolo Banchero, their No. 1 overall pick in 2022, who scored 17 in the first half. The Magic got 19 points from Michigan alumnus Franz Wagner, Desmond Bane added 17 points and Jalen Suggs poured in 16 points.

The Pistons trailed the entire game, down as many as 13 early (18-5), but crept within 52-51, before entering halftime down 55-51.

The Pistons closed late in the fourth quarter with a five-man lineup that hadn't played one minute together all season: Cunningham, Daniss Jenkins, Kevin Huerter, Isaiah Stewart and Duren.

Cunningham took over in the second half, scoring 25 points. But the Magic got hot late, making nine of their first 10 shots in the fourth quarter. After the Pistons cut it to four with 6:48 to go, Orlando answered with a 7-1 run, pushing the lead back to double-digits.

A dagger layup from Suggs with just over two minutes remaining pushed the Magic’s lead to 12, matching their largest of the night.

They struggled to slow 2022 No. 1 pick Banchero, who scored 17 points in the first half. The Magic outperformed the Pistons in areas the Pistons usually dominant. The Pistons lost the paint battle, 54-34, and were outrebounded 45-39.

The Pistons trailed during the entire first half after a slow start, allowing the Magic to build an early 18-5 lead. Detroit committed six turnovers and gave up five offensive rebounds in the first quarter, and Orlando knocked down three of its first four 3-pointers before missing their its nine.

The Pistons, who last played a week ago while the Magic played in two play-in tournament games, cut the deficit to 29-27 with a 17-7 run capped by a Jenkins 3-pointer.

They got within single digits twice in the second quarter and cut it to one, 52-51, with a fastbreak layup from Cunningham with 1:24 on the clock.

The Pistons won the second quarter, 24-20, while committing just one turnover and holding the Magic to 6-for-17 (35.3%) shooting. However, the Pistons only shot 7-for-23 (30.4%) overall themselves.

Here's what else stood out from Game 1:

TRENDING: Magic better than Pistons expected, but no excuse for Game 1 upset

Pistons Magic playoff schedule

Game 2 is Wednesday night (7 p.m., ESPN) at LCA. The series shifts to Orlando for Game 3 on Saturday.

Cade Cunningham rusty early, finds rhythm late

The superstar guard acknowledged last week he was still getting back to 100% health after missing three weeks in March and April with a collapsed left lung.

In Game 1, it was clear Cunningham’s still getting his rhythm and wind back.

Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) makes a jump shot against Orlando Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. (34) 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.

He entered halftime with a team-high 14 points, but on 5-for-12 (41.7%) shooting with just one assist (averaged 9.9 in regular season) and three turnovers. There were several uncharacteristic plays for Cunningham through the first two quarters – a couple of airballs on midrange shots, inattentiveness leading to him giving the ball up, and an inability to create space and hit his usual targets.

In the third quarter, more jumpers began to fall for Cunningham. He led a 10-0 run to trim the deficit to one with a string of smart plays – a drive-and-kick for a Tobias Harris 3-pointer, a glide past Banchero for a layup, and a pullup 3-pointer to cut it to 63-62. Cunningham scored nine points and dished two assists on 4-for-6 shooting in the period.

A pull-up 3-pointer early in the fourth quarter that cut the deficit to four gave him 28 points and pulled his shooting percentage to 50%, 10-for-20. He tried his best to keep the team in it in the fourth with 11 points, but it was too little, too late.

Jalen Duren timid vs Magic in Game 1

Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren (0) goes to the basket against Orlando Magic guard Jalen Suggs (4) during the first half of Game 1 of the first round of the NBA playoffs at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Sunday, April 19, 2026.

After closing the regular season on an offensive tear, the first-time All-Star largely was uninvolved on Sunday. He took one shot in the first quarter and didn’t make his first bucket until nearly 12 minutes of action.

Duren only took four shots in 33 minutes, making three. He averaged 11.5 attempts per game this season. He was just 2-for-4 at the foul line.

It was one of his worst defensive performances as well. Orlando owned the paint, taking advantage of Duren’s late rotations and weak contests. The Pistons desperately needed a second scorer, with only Cunningham and Harris finishing in double figures.

They’ll need a strong response from Duren in Game 2.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Pistons Magic Game 1 score: Banchero, Orlando steal NBA playoff opener