Paolo Banchero scored 31 points and Desmond Bane added 25 as the Orlando Magic withstood a fourth-quarter rally and closed on a 14-2 run to beat the visiting Detroit Pistons 123-107 on Monday.
Anthony Black contributed 14 points off the bench for Orlando, which won for the fourth time in the past five games. Wendell Carter Jr., Jalen Suggs and Tristan da Silva each scored 12 points, and Suggs added a career-high 12 assists.
The Magic (43-36) and the Charlotte Hornets (43-36) are tied for eighth in the Eastern Conference, one game behind the 76ers (43-35) and the Toronto Raptors (43-35), pending Philadelphia’s result Monday night at San Antonio.
Jalen Duren and Daniss Jenkins led Detroit (57-22) with 18 points apiece. The Pistons clinched the top seed in the East for the first time since 2006-07 with a 116-93 win at Philadelphia on Saturday.
Kevin Huerter and Javonte Green scored 17 points apiece for Detroit, which trailed by as many as 26 in the third quarter before opening the fourth on a 10-0 run to cut the deficit to 12.
Jenkins’ 3-pointer capped a 13-1 run with 4:07 left to slice Orlando’s lead to 109-105.
The Magic regained control and secured the victory with 12 straight points. Goga Bitadze’s dunk with 2:02 remaining extended Orlando’s lead to 121-105.
The Magic shot 75% (30 of 40) from the foul line compared to 68.4% (13 of 19) for the Pistons.
Orlando sprinted to a 23-12 lead before Detroit pulled within 30-28 at the end of the opening quarter.
Bane sparked a 10-2 run with back-to-back 3-pointers to put the Magic ahead 40-33 early in the second quarter, and the Magic held a 69-55 advantage at halftime.
The Magic used a 9-0 run to move ahead 86-63 with 5:27 left in the third quarter, capped by a Banchero layup. Orlando led 98-76 at the end of the third quarter.
The Pistons fell to 8-3 since star Cade Cunningham sustained a collapsed lung. Detroit also played without Tobias Harris (knee), Duncan Robinson (hip) and Isaiah Stewart (calf).
Orlando forward Jamal Cain exited in the second quarter due to a left calf contusion and did not return. Carter exited in the third quarter because of a neck sprain.
–Field Level Media
