The magic vs pistons opening game at Little Caesars Arena ended with the Orlando Magic winning 112 101, a contest the Pistons never led and were outplayed from the opening tip.
Detroit guard Cade Cunningham produced a playoff career high with 39 points, five rebounds and four assists, drawing MVP chants in the fourth quarter during a late Pistons rally attempt.
Tobias Harris was the only other Detroit player in double figures with 17 points, while center Jalen Duren managed eight points, seven rebounds and one assist, not scoring until midway through the second quarter.
Orlando forwards Paolo Banchero and guard Jalen Suggs set the tone early, Banchero finishing with 23 points, nine rebounds and four assists, and Suggs adding 16 points, four rebounds and four assists.
The loss extended Detroit's home playoff struggles, moving the franchise to an 0 9 record at Little Caesars Arena and an 11 game home playoff losing streak, the longest such streak in NBA history, with the team's last home playoff victory coming against the Boston Celtics in the 2008 Eastern Conference Finals.
Detroit will now turn to Game Two on Wednesday as the series shifts focus to adjustments and support for Cunningham from the Pistons' depth, which had been a season strength but faltered in this matchup.
Betting Outlook And Model Projections
SportsLine's projection model simulated the matchup 10,000 times and favored the Under on the listed 221.5 total, projecting a combined score near 211 and showing the Under hitting in 68 percent of simulations.
The model also indicated only one player between the teams cleared 20 points in simulations; it noted Detroit's defensive strength, citing the Pistons as second in team defensive rating and the Magic as 13th.
Betting lines listed Detroit as an 8.5 point favorite at FanDuel, with a money line near Pistons minus 395 and Magic plus 309, and streaming and broadcast listings varied across reports, including Fubo and ESPN mentions.
The Magic entered the series after a defensive play in the play in that held Charlotte to 90 points, while Orlando listed Jonathan Isaac out with a knee issue and had Desmond Bane added to the injury report but listed as available.
