Magic Second Half Leads to Dominant Win vs. Pistons

The Orlando Magic turned a small lead into a big one in the second half against the Detroit Pistons.

Jeremy Brener | Mar 4, 2024

In this story:

ORLANDO - The Orlando Magic went to the locker room at halftime up nine points on Sunday night against the Detroit Pistons, but when they went back there after the fourth quarter, the lead grew to 22 in their 113-91 victory.

A 20-3 run to begin the third quarter put the game out of reach for the Pistons as the Magic cruised to a third straight victory. The defensive effort early in the second half pushed the Magic to a win.

Anthony Black Goga Bitadze — Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports

"I think we were just really able to get stops," Paolo Banchero said postgame about the team's ability to pull away in the third quarter. "I thought we did a good job playing defense, forcing them into tough shots and then not letting them get many second chance opportunities. Then, the offense just fed off of that."

While the execution was strong, it was backed by a lot of preparation that the team took on -- both from the players and coaching staff.

"It says a lot about them being prepared," coach Jamahl Mosley said. "You have to give credit, so much credit to our coaches. ... Our ability to sustain our effort and continue to play together was something that I'm very proud of -- this group and our coaching staff -- for how they're getting these guys prepared for what they're going to continue to see."

Magic Complete Perfect Homestand in Rout vs. Pistons

The players and coaches have been in lockstep all season long, and the synergy has been a huge reason behind the team's success so far this year.

The Magic are back in action tomorrow when they visit the Charlotte Hornets. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.

Published Mar 4, 2024

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.