Jalen Suggs answered the moment.
Orlando’s guard came flying out of the gates, forcing steals left and right, splashing two dagger threes to open the game, diving for a loose ball, blocking shots from behind, throwing down a pick-six spiderman slam, in what felt like a blink of an eye.
Suggs’ first half stat-line in Detroit:
11 PTS – 3 REB – 3 AST – 3 STL – 1 BLK
Paolo Banchero ups his game the bigger the stakes get, coming out swinging with tough shot making in the post, hitting his tough shot counters, while still driving and looking for the open man, finding backdoor cutters.
Banchero’s First Half statline in Detroit:
17 PTS
6 REB
2 AST / 1 TO
2/2 3P
3/7 2P
5/6 FT
Orlando held Cunningham to 1 AST and 3 TOV in the first half; effort plays from the whole team led to defensive stops and winning plays, from a Wendell Carter Jr. deflection, to a Bitadze putback, and an Anthony Black block from behind.
Bane’s downhill playmaking helped create looks, hitting Carter with the pick-and-pop kickout three and finding Franz Wagner later with a transition drive-and-kick opposite corner three.
Orlando is at its best when Jalen Suggs is flying around like a chicken with his head cut off, disrupting everything everywhere all at once, planting bombs like bomberman all over the court and exploding from baseline to baseline anytime one goes off.
With a ball of energy pinballing around the perimeter, the paint becomes more difficult to penetrate, and turnovers are easier to force, especially when Orlando’s defense shrinks in and dares Detroit’s questionable shooters to beat them from deep.
Suggs is a walking pick-six who can single-handedly swing the point off turnovers margin any game. His energy combined with Banchero picking his spots and hitting tough shots propelled Orlando to an early first half lead that got up to 13 PTS before slipping to 4 at half.
Banchero starting the game aggressive and on point as a tough shot maker gave Orlando the offensive spark to build an early lead.
The fun continued in the third, with Banchero hitting tough shots with a dream shake turnaround and bailout contested pull-up middy and dropping an absolute dime of a no-look swing pass alley-oop lob to Wendell Carter Jr.
Bane hitting a big three over Cade, Black keeping up the pace, driving into a eurostep bump and finish helped Orlando hold its lead.
In the fourth, fresh off missing seven straight after his first two 3pt makes, Suggs hit a silencer 3 as his defender goes under the screen off a handoff with Carter,
As da Silva snuck in with a eurostep finger roll. Wagner started finding gaps to attack. After stripping Tobias on one end, Franz Wagner. nails the FLOATA through contact on the other. Soon after, Wagner ran pick-and-roll, found a lane, and drove down the open road for a high-flying highlight slam.
Suggs drawing his fifth foul with 8 minutes to play became a factor to watch. Cade Cunningham kept Detroit in it throughout, pushing the pace off boards, drawing fouls on the other end.
Another corner three splash came off a hockey assist from Suggs who hits Carter with a quick pass in pick-and-roll, Carter turns and shows the short-roll playmaking pass to da Silva in the corner. Next, it was Bane running a handoff with Carter, drawing the defensive attention before dumping off to Carter, who stayed patient on the roll for a pumpfake and bucket under the rim.
Wagner hit Suggs for an alley oop late. Orlando posting up Franz Wagner with early seals created quick scoring opportunities. Wagner posting up Cunningham, forcing the ball through the net, showed his will to win.
Banchero pulling up for a kill shot midrange pull-up gives Orlando some breathing room.
Bane diving on the floor for a loose ball helps Orlando win the margins.
Wendell Carter Jr.’s active hands deflections and versatility were as vital as anyone for Orlando’s defense, and Carter threw down the exclamation point dunk to seal it.
Banchero finished with 23 PTS – 9 REB – 4 AST (3 TO) – 1 BLK. Orlando’s rotation of defenders racked up forced turnovers: Franz with 2 steals, Bitadze with 2 blocks, Carter with 1 block and 1 steal, Bane with 3 steals, Black with 1 steal and 2 blocks, Suggs with 3 steals and 1 block
If Orlando’s gameplan was to limit Cunningham’s creation for others, it worked, because Cade finished with just 4 AST to 3 TO despite scoring 39 PTS efficiently.
After a tied 20-20 Points in the Paint (PITP) margin in the first half, the Magic exploded to a 54-34 PITP advantage.
In a wire-to-wire victory, Jamahl Mosley secures his first road playoff win as Head Coach as Orlando steals one on the road and swipes home court advantage in the process.
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