Bickerstaff’s Halftime Tirade Fuels Pistons’ 30-3 Surge, 98-83 Victory Over Magic
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DETROIT — Tied at intermission and facing the prospect of a 0-2 deficit, the Detroit Pistons absorbed an intense locker-room message from head coach J.B. Bickerstaff and roared past the Orlando Magic, 98-83, on Wednesday night to square their first-round series at 1-1.
According to forward Tobias Harris, Bickerstaff warned that there could be no more “my bads” as Orlando’s hustle plays mounted in the first half. The admonition galvanized Detroit, which opened the third quarter on a 30-3 run, holding the Magic to 1-for-10 shooting and forcing six turnovers during that stretch.
Detroit’s defense set the tone early with seven blocks in the opening period and finished with 11. Orlando shot 6-for-34 (18%) on contested attempts — the lowest mark recorded in any postseason game since ESPN began tracking the category in 2013-14. The Magic’s 83 points marked the fewest the Pistons have allowed in a playoff contest since April 24, 2009.
Cade Cunningham led Detroit with 27 points, 11 assists and six rebounds after a 39-point showing in Game 1. Isaiah Stewart added 10 points and two blocks, while Harris scored in double figures. Paolo Banchero paced Orlando with 18 points, eight assists and six rebounds.
The win ended an 11-game home playoff skid for Detroit, the longest such streak in NBA history. It was the franchise’s first postseason victory at Little Caesars Arena and first home playoff win overall since May 26, 2008, when the Pistons defeated Boston in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals. A sellout crowd that included Pistons legend Isiah Thomas celebrated the milestone.
Despite Detroit’s third-quarter avalanche, Orlando’s starters remained on the floor late, registering six blocks and limiting the Pistons to 6-for-26 from three-point range. Head coach Jamahl Mosley said the Magic “aren’t backing down” as the series shifts to Amway Center for Game 3 on Saturday.
Bickerstaff credited his players for responding. “We have one off night that happened to come at a bad time,” he said. “But we trusted they would come back and be the best version of themselves.”
Source: ESPN
