Mike Bianchi: Even with Paolo Banchero’s brilliance, Magic can’t close out Pistons without Franz Wagner
The Orlando Magic walked into Detroit’s Little Caesars Arena on Wednesday night with a chance to finish something. Instead, they walked into a fight — the kind of barroom brawl that defines a playoff series where both teams are trying to emerge from nearly two decades of NBA irrelevance. But let’s make one thing perfectly clear: Before anything else unfolded in the Magic’s 116-109 loss to the ...
The Orlando Magic walked into Detroit’s Little Caesars Arena on Wednesday night with a chance to finish something. Instead, they walked into a fight — the kind of barroom brawl that defines a playoff series where both teams are trying to emerge from nearly two decades of NBA irrelevance. But let’s make one thing perfectly clear: Before anything else unfolded in the Magic’s 116-109 loss to the Pistons in Game 5; before the Magic’s myriad of missed free throws; before the Pistons’ massive rebounding advantage; before the growing concern about Franz Wagner’s calf injury, this night belonged to two stars refusing to let their seasons slip away.
Paolo Banchero vs. Cade Cunningham. Wow.
What a show. Each scored 45 points and played more than 40 minutes. It was possession after possession of high-level, high-pressure basketball where neither player blinked.
This wasn’t just a playoff game; it was a showcase. Two former No. 1 overall picks trading blows like heavyweights, each carrying the full weight of his franchise.
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