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ORLANDO, FL – A disruptive night on the defensive end – and strong offensive performances by Cade Cunningham and Tobias Harris – allowed the Detroit Pistons to kick off a three-game road trip with yet another victory.
They defeated the Orlando Magic, 106-92, to improve to 45-14 – the franchise's highest win total since winning 59 games in 2007-08. Cunningham led the Pistons with 29 points, 11 assists and two steals, and Harris added 23 points and seven rebounds. Ausar Thompson also had a strong two-way performance with nine points, 11 rebounds, three assists, three blocks and two steals.
The Pistons trailed at halftime, 57-50, but held the Magic to just 35 points on 30.8% shooting over the second half. The defense allowed them to overcome a poor night from the arc — the Pistons went just 4-for-30 (13.3%) from 3, including missing their first 15 tries beyond the arc.
Paolo Banchero led Orlando with 24 points and 11 rebounds.
Detroit Pistons playoff picture
With the win, the Pistons (45-14) topped their victory total in all of 2024-25 … with 23 games left to play. They also stretched their lead in the Eastern Conference to six games over the Boston Celtics and their lead in the Central Division over the Cleveland Cavaliers to 8½ games. Detroit’s .762 winning percentage is also the best in the league, just ahead of Oklahoma City’s .754 (46-15).
Next up for the Pistons
Detroit’s slate of NBA Finals contenders doesn’t ease up, with a trip to Cleveland (38-24) on the docket. The Cavaliers, despite missing Donovan Mitchell and James Harden, nearly beat the Pistons on Friday. Harden returned Sunday to lead the Cavs past the Brooklyn Nets, 106-102.
Ausar Thompson sparks Pistons’ offense, with defense
The third-year forward had two monster blocks and a steal early in the third period, helping to spark the Pistons’ offense after an anemic first half. The second block led to an open corner 3-pointer by Harris that gave them their first lead, 67-65, at the 6:44 mark.
The Pistons have had a top-10 offense this season despite their shooting struggles because they’re among the best teams at forcing turnovers and taking advantage of transition opportunities. Thompson is responsible for a good portion of those fastbreak buckets due to his all-around disruption on defense. He’s among the best in the league at coming up with steals and is the Pistons' third-best shotblocker, after Isaiah Stewart and Paul Reed.
The Pistons took control in the second half because they locked Orlando down defensively and got their transition game going, leading the Magic 9-0 in fastbreak points and 16-2 in points off turnovers in that span.
3-point shooting woes continue
It took nearly an entire half for the Pistons to knock down their first 3-pointer. Javonte Green swished an attempt with 3:42 remaining in the second quarter. Before that shot, the Pistons collectively were 0-for-15. They entered halftime 1-for-17 from deep
It was their second-worst first half from the arc, topped only by their 0-for-12 performance against the Los Angeles Lakers on Dec. 28. The Pistons have been among the league’s weaker teams on the 3-ball this season, but they’ve been in a slump, even compared to their standard.
The Pistons shot 6-for-27 (22.2%) against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday, 9-for-27 (33.3%) against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday and 7-for-36 (19.4%) against the San Antonio Spurs at home last Monay. In teh second half of the season, thus far, they are 26th in 3-point percentage at 32.2%.
Once they began knocking down 3s in the second half, the game turned in the Pistons' favor. They hit three of their first five attempts in the third quarter, with Cunningham knocking down two and Harris making the other.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Pistons cast spell on Orlando Magic in 106-92 victory