Can Magic beat top-seeded Pistons again, despite injuries and changes?
· Yahoo Sports
The last time the Magic faced the Pistons in late-November, Orlando handed Detroit one of its 14 infrequent losses on the season.
A lot, however, has changed since then for Jamahl Mosley‘s squad.
Visit amunra.qpon for more information.
Franz Wagner, who scored 21 points that night at Little Caesars Arena, is in the middle of an extended rehab because of a left high ankle sprain. Paolo Banchero, who missed the Nov. 28 matchup while recovering from a left groin strain, has averaged 25.4 points on 38.9% shooting from 3-point range alongside 8.8 rebounds and 7.4 assists per night in the first five games out of the NBA All-Star break. Jevon Carter, a defensive-minded veteran guard, is now with the Magic instead of Tyus Jones, who was traded three weeks ago.
Still, the one constant from the last matchup between the Magic and the Pistons ahead of Sunday’s game between the Eastern Conference foes comes in the form of the high-level of play from Orlando guard Desmond Bane and Detroit guard Cade Cunningham.
Bane, who scored 37 points without making a 3-pointer in the most recent meeting with Detroit, recorded his 10th 30-plus point performance of the season during Thursday’s five-point loss to the Rockets.
Meanwhile, Cunningham, who finished with 39 points that November night, has established himself as a top candidate for league MVP by guiding the Pistons to the top spot in the East, averaging 25.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, 9.8 assists, 1.5 steal and one block per game in the first 52 contests.
Although they’re facing each other a third time Sunday, it’ll be Detroit’s first trip of the season to Kia Center. Splitting their first two games, the Pistons previously beat the Magic (31-27) by 19 points at home in the fifth game of the year.
“We keep talking about the ‘one game at a time’ and this is a very … It’s a big game for us to be able to understand exactly where we stand in a lot of ways with guys,” Mosley said after Saturday practice at the AdventHealth Training Center. “But again, we want to make sure we continue to focus on the things that we can control and play our style of basketball for 48 minutes.”
Detroit (44-14) boasts a plus-8.1 net rating, which was tied for second-best in the NBA with Boston and only trailed the defending champion Thunder entering Saturday, thanks in large part due to its stout defensive identity.
While Detroit’s offensive rating (116.5) sits 10th league-wide, the team’s defensive rating (108.5) is second-best, according to NBA.com. The Pistons force the most turnovers in the league (17.3 per night), score the second-most points off of them (21.9) and limit teams to the third-fewest points in the paint (42.9).
Knowing they’ll have their hands full Sunday, the Magic (31-27) feel confident about their ability to bounce back from a second-half collapse against Houston on Thursday.
“I think we matchup really well against them, honestly,” third-year pro Jett Howard said. “It’s always been a dogfight in the past.
“If we go out and play our game, play together, (and) play the right way, we should have a good chance to win.”
Rookies on assignmentMagic rookies Jase Richardson and Noah Penda spent Friday night on assignment with Osceola, Orlando’s G League affiliate who faced the Cleveland Charge at Kia Center.
Richardson recorded a game-high nine assists when he helped boost Osceola to a 128-111 victory by notching 22 points on 9 for 15 shooting from the floor. Penda came off the bench and added 13 points with eight rebounds.
“Super fun, in my opinion,” Richardson said Saturday about the experience. “The guys were really welcoming. Just for me, trying to get as many reps as I can whether that’s in the G League or the NBA, (I’m) really grateful for it.”
Both rookies, who had fallen out of Mosley’s rotation following the league break, played 31 minutes for Osceola, significantly more than they would typically get with Orlando.
Elsewhere on the court, Magic two-way center Colin Castleton posted 22 points with eight rebounds and two blocks while two-way forward Alex Morales notched six points, six rebounds and five assists.
Richardson and Penda were recalled by Orlando after the game to join the team for Saturday practice ahead of Sunday’s game. Compared to the NBA, G League contests tend to skew towards a faster, more offensive-minded pace.
“I thought they did a great job adjusting to that game as soon as they showed up,” Mosley said. “I was proud that they got to get some run but they also understood exactly what that game is like down there so that can transfer to when they get the minutes here.”
Jason Beede can be reached at [email protected]
Up next …
Magic vs. Pistons
When: 6 p.m., Sunday, Kia Center
TV: FanDuel Sports Network Florida