Orlando Magic Back on Track After Cruising to Win vs. Detroit Pistons

The Orlando Magic is back in the win column after beating the Detroit Pistons on Friday night.

Jeremy Brener | Dec 8, 2023

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ORLANDO - The Orlando Magic is back to its winning ways after dismantling the Detroit Pistons in a 123-89 win on Friday night at the Amway Center.

The Magic snapped a two-game losing streak in the win, which comes off the heels of a franchise-high nine-game winning streak. Meanwhile, the Pistons are losers for their 19th consecutive game, which continues the longest losing streak in franchise history.

Orlando took an early lead towards the end of the first quarter and never truly relinquished it, leaving Detroit in the dust throughout the game.

Detroit Pistons forward Bojan Bogdanovic (44) shoots the ball over Orlando Magic guard Caleb Houstan (2) during the second quarter at Amway Center. — Detroit Pistons forward Bojan Bogdanovic (44) shoots the ball over Orlando Magic guard Caleb Houstan (2) during the second quarter at Amway Center / Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports

The Magic was led by Franz Wagner, who scored a team-high 27 points. Paolo Banchero also added a considerable amount, scoring 24 points of his own.

For the Pistons, Cade Cunningham was the leading scorer with 21 points.

The Magic's defense was a point of emphasis going into the game, and it's clear that it made an impact in this one. Even without top defenders Jonathan Isaac and Jalen Suggs out with ankle sprains, the Orlando defense dominated throughout the game.

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"We have to do it by committee," coach Jamahl Mosley said of his team's defense. "So I think challenging each guy individually one, but to also understand where we have to be positionally that we'll have to rebound the ball better tonight, we have to not turn it over. So we don't leave too easy transition baskets, protecting the paint first and then getting out to shooter. That's part of the system of what we do. And so I think guys understanding what our system is, and then being able to do that at a high level."

The Magic is back in action at home on Monday when the Cleveland Cavaliers come to town. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.

Published Dec 8, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.