Orlando takes care of the ball, makes just enough plays to beat Detroit and take 3-1 series lead
Cade Cunningham shot 7-of-23 for the Pistons and had eight turnovers, but he was not getting enough help.
At the trade deadline last February, the Detroit Pistons mostly stayed quiet. Trajan Langdon and the front office made a conscious decision not to make a big move; they wanted to see what this group ā which finished with the No. 1 seed in the East ā could do in the cauldron of the playoffs.
They chose not to add any secondary shot creation, no speed, and just a little shooting from Kevin Huerter (sending out Jaden Ivey). That lack of secondary playmaking and shooting has Detroit on the verge of being knocked out of the playoffs by the No. 8 seed Orlando Magic.
In a physical, defensive Game 4 on Monday, the Pistons shot just 6-of-30 (20%) from 3-point range and 37. 8% overall. And in the face of intense defensive pressure, the Pistons turned the ball over 20 times ā eight times by Cade Cunningham, who also shot 7-of-23 on the night.
Detroit is just flat-out struggling to score against a quality Orlando defense, they lack shot creators and shooters. Meanwhile, the Magic were stepping up and making just enough plays. JAMAL CAIN WITH THE BEST POSTER OF THE PLAYOFFS SO FAR!!!!