The Detroit Pistons cannot take beating the Orlando Magic in the first round of the NBA Playoffs for granted. Considering they just dropped game one of their series to Orlando, it seems like the Pistons might need to get their heads screwed on right. Quickly, if at all possible. If they don\u2019t, Detroit will be looking at another early exit from the playoffs for the second year in a row.<\/p>\n
Pistons Need To Take The Magic Seriously In The Playoffs<\/p>\n
At the end of the regular season, Detroit was the top team in the Eastern Conference. This gave them the favorable number one seed in the playoffs. In turn, that meant they got the number eight seed as their opponent, which should have given them an advantage.<\/p>\n
In this case, the Pistons had four potential contenders<\/a>. One of them was definitely the worst option for them. Ultimately, both the Heat and the Hornets were knocked out of the Play-In Tournament. The Sixers took the seventh seed, which put them up against the Celtics. That left Detroit with the Magic, the team that was the worst option out of the four by far.<\/p>\n The Pistons\u2019 record against the other three teams this season was favorable. Orlando, on the other hand, had won two out of their four meetings in 2025-2026. That meant that they could give the Pistons a legit fight in the postseason, which is exactly what\u2019s happening.<\/p>\n Magic Take Game 1 Against The Pistons<\/p>\n Much to the surprise of all the Detroit fans at Little Caesars Arena, Orlando picked up a wire-to-wire win<\/a> over the number one seeds. The Pistons never once led in the entire game. This is not the performance fans were looking for from their hometown team. For the Magic, coming out of a tough Play-In Tournament and getting a win on the road to open the series is as good as it gets.<\/p>\n Cade Cunningham<\/a> did his job as the team\u2019s superstar. He finished the game with 39 points, five rebounds, and four assists. The problem was that the only other player in double digits was Tobias Harris<\/a> with 17 points.<\/p>\n Neither Jalen Duren<\/a> nor Daniss Jenkins<\/a> was playing the caliber of game they normally deliver. The Pistons need the version of these two guys who showed up when Cunningham was injured in the last few weeks of the season. There\u2019s no doubt that Cunningham is the big dog on the team, but he can\u2019t win a title all on his own. The rest of the starters and the bench have to step up, too.<\/p>\n Pistons Need To Take This Seriously Now<\/p>\n This is a best-of-seven series, not a one-and-done situation. There\u2019s a lot of basketball yet to be played between these two teams. Plus, it\u2019s worth noting that the Pistons had a break during the play-in and need to get back in the rhythm. There\u2019s a tiny amount of rust to shake off.<\/p>\n All of that being said, Detroit did not play with any urgency in Game 1. The Magic dealt with a lot of big injuries during the regular season, which kept them from playing at full strength. That isn\u2019t an issue anymore. Detroit is now facing a Magic team that is fresh off a play-in triumph and has something to prove in the playoffs. The Pistons need the same chip on their shoulders.<\/p>\n