Pistons defeated the Magic 121-101 to end their six-game losing run

 

The Detroit Pistons’ first seven shots were all missed against the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night. In the end, it didn’t matter since the Pistons defeated the Magic, 121-101, to stop their six-game losing streak.

 

Detroit’s starting lineup couldn’t buy a basket, shooting 13-for-42 on the night, probably their worst showing of the season. Fortunately, their reserves showed up, as the Pistons’ bench scored 76 points.

 

Alec Burks was the Pistons’ best player on the floor, leading the team in scoring with 32 points and adding four assists for good measure. Burks had not missed a shot until the final seconds of regulation, making 4-for-4 free throws and going 10-for-10 (including 6-for-6 from beyond the arc). He didn’t care if he missed his last shot attempt.

 

 

“It’s part of the package,” Burks told reporters. “I wasn’t going to miss it.”

 

Burks wasn’t alone in carrying the scoring load for Detroit, as Saddiq Bey chipped in 28 points, including five three-pointers. Bey added eight rebounds and four assists to his stat line.

 

The Pistons’ bench was terrific, but it was overshadowed by an ugly situation late in the second quarter. Moritz Wagner of the Orlando Magic, who attended Michigan, hip-checked Detroit’s Killian Hayes into the Pistons bench while both players were diving for a lost ball.

 

Hayes regained his footing and landed a punch to the back of Wagner’s head. As numerous Orlando players cleared their bench, which will almost certainly result in a suspension per league rules, Detroit’s Hamidou Diallo joined involved in the melee, pushing Wagner in the back.

 

Officials gave Wagner a Flagrant two-foul after a lengthy examination of the brawl, resulting in his dismissal. Hayes and Diallo were also thrown out.

 

Dwane Casey, coach of the Detroit Pistons, was not pleased with the actions of the Orlando Magic players and coaching staff. “I was irritated because, according to the rule, leaving your bench during an incident is escalating,” Casey explained. “I didn’t understand that they were de-escalating the situation.”

 

Casey has been in a scenario like this before. Last season, during the Pistons-Lakers game, Detroit’s Isaiah Stewart was embroiled in a similar brawl after being busted open by Los Angeles’ LeBron James’ elbow shot. With the Pistons being one of the NBA’s youngest teams, Casey was happy with how his players kept their cool since he was concerned about how they’d react after halftime.

 

“I believed we came out on top,” Casey remarked. “They (Orlando) had a great run, and we responded to it.”

 

The next game for the Pistons is a Friday night showdown at the United Center against the Chicago Bulls. The game begins at 8 p.m. CST.

 

Pistons defeated the Magic 121-101 to end their six-game losing run

 

The Detroit Pistons’ first seven shots were all missed against the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night. In the end, it didn’t matter since the Pistons defeated the Magic, 121-101, to stop their six-game losing streak.

 

Detroit’s starting lineup couldn’t buy a basket, shooting 13-for-42 on the night, probably their worst showing of the season. Fortunately, their reserves showed up, as the Pistons’ bench scored 76 points.

 

Alec Burks was the Pistons’ best player on the floor, leading the team in scoring with 32 points and adding four assists for good measure. Burks had not missed a shot until the final seconds of regulation, making 4-for-4 free throws and going 10-for-10 (including 6-for-6 from beyond the arc). He didn’t care if he missed his last shot attempt.

 

 

“It’s part of the package,” Burks told reporters. “I wasn’t going to miss it.”

 

Burks wasn’t alone in carrying the scoring load for Detroit, as Saddiq Bey chipped in 28 points, including five three-pointers. Bey added eight rebounds and four assists to his stat line.

 

The Pistons’ bench was terrific, but it was overshadowed by an ugly situation late in the second quarter. Moritz Wagner of the Orlando Magic, who attended Michigan, hip-checked Detroit’s Killian Hayes into the Pistons bench while both players were diving for a lost ball.

 

Hayes regained his footing and landed a punch to the back of Wagner’s head. As numerous Orlando players cleared their bench, which will almost certainly result in a suspension per league rules, Detroit’s Hamidou Diallo joined involved in the melee, pushing Wagner in the back.

 

Officials gave Wagner a Flagrant two-foul after a lengthy examination of the brawl, resulting in his dismissal. Hayes and Diallo were also thrown out.

 

Dwane Casey, coach of the Detroit Pistons, was not pleased with the actions of the Orlando Magic players and coaching staff. “I was irritated because, according to the rule, leaving your bench during an incident is escalating,” Casey explained. “I didn’t understand that they were de-escalating the situation.”

 

Casey has been in a scenario like this before. Last season, during the Pistons-Lakers game, Detroit’s Isaiah Stewart was embroiled in a similar brawl after being busted open by Los Angeles’ LeBron James’ elbow shot. With the Pistons being one of the NBA’s youngest teams, Casey was happy with how his players kept their cool since he was concerned about how they’d react after halftime.

 

“I believed we came out on top,” Casey remarked. “They (Orlando) had a great run, and we responded to it.”

 

The next game for the Pistons is a Friday night showdown at the United Center against the Chicago Bulls. The game begins at 8 p.m. CST.