The Detroit Pistons have not won a playoff series since 2008, when they beat the Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference semifinals. They’ll get a chance to break that drought of nearly two decades versus the very same opponent.

Top-seeded Detroit draws Play-In winner Orlando for what should be a physical matchup. With Cade Cunningham as the full-court nexus, Jalen Duren as the interior anchor and Ausar Thompson as the perimeter pest, these Pistons make their mark through new-age toughness. The Magic counter with a tall, defensive-oriented core of Paolo Banchero, Desmond Bane and Franz Wagner.

Here’s how to watch the full first-round series.

How to watch No. 1 Detroit Pistons vs. No. 8 Orlando Magic

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GameDateTime (ET)TVStream

1: @ DET

Sun., April 19

6:30 p.m.

NBC

Peacock

2: @ DET

Wed., April 22

7 p.m.

ESPN

3: @ ORL

Sat., April 25

1 p.m.

Peacock,
NBCSN

Peacock

4: @ ORL

Mon., April 27

TBD

TBD

TBD

5*: @ DET

Wed., April 29

TBD

TBD

TBD

6*: @ ORL

Fri., May 1

TBD

TBD

TBD

7*: @ DET

Sun., May 3

TBD

TBD

TBD

* if necessary

NBC is free over the air. ESPN is also available with an ESPN Unlimited subscription.

What to know about the Pistons

Detroit recorded 60 wins for just the third time in franchise history. It was a noticeable improvement from last year’s 44-38 effort, and a full-on revelation compared to its recent history. The Pistons averaged just 28.5 wins from 2009-10 through 2023-24, thorough disappointment for an entire generation.

Cunningham led the way this season with 23.9 points and 9.9 assists per game. He was joined by Duren, who broke out to career-best averages of 19.5 points and 3.8 offensive rebounds. The rising pick-and-roll duo bonded as offseason travelers — first to a remote Colorado campsite, then two weeks in Rome.

The All-Star centerpieces are surrounded by fearless shooters and in-the-jersey defenders. Duncan Robinson and Kevin Huerter spot up from the perimeter. Tobias Harris, a 15-year pro, offers steady secondary offense. Backup center Isaiah Stewart obliges those who want the smoke. And Thompson, the NBA leader in steals per game, picks up No. 1 options from the wing.

Under J.B. Bickerstaff, Detroit had the second-rated defense and posted the fourth-best rebounding percentage. The team held things down when Cunningham suffered a collapsed lung — 8-3 in his absence, with two of those losses in overtime. Fully healthy and amply motivated, the Pistons are revving themselves up for an ahead-of-schedule playoff run.

What to know about the Magic

In the macro, Orlando looks decidedly mid. The Magic ranked 18th in offensive rating, 13th on defense and 17th in plus-minus during the regular season. They went 28-23 (.528) before the All-Star break, then 17-12 (.586) down the stretch. Like its opponents, the pinstriped outfit has not won a series in quite some time, dating back to the 2010 playoffs.

To snap that streak and avoid a third opening-round exit in as many years, Orlando will have to outgrind the No. 1 seed. Its front office made a big “win-now” move in the offseason acquisition of Bane. For a package centered on four first-round picks and a future pick swap, the Magic finally got their much-needed shot-maker. Bane played in all 82 games; he averaged more than 20 points on commendable splits around 48/39/91 percent.

Banchero, the 2022 No. 1 pick and later Rookie of the Year, struggled with efficiency in his age-23 campaign, but he still finished with more than 22 points and eight free-throw attempts per contest. Fellow 6-foot-10 teammate Wagner was limited to 34 games, though he went nearly 50 percent from the field across six April outings.

Complementing those three leads are twitchy guard Anthony Black and stout stopper Jalen Suggs. Orlando’s centers, Wendell Carter Jr. and Goga Bitadze, each averaged more than two offensive boards.

The Magic dropped the first Play-In game, a 12-point road loss to the Joel Embiid-less Philadelphia 76ers. They thoroughly dominated the second one, though. Orlando thumped the once-hot Charlotte Hornets 121-90, thanks to confident defense and a 50 percent mark from the field. Banchero led all scorers with 25 points on 17 shots. Banchero, Wagner and Suggs each had six dimes in the home W.

Head-to-head matchups this season

They split four regular-season games. The first two were early in the schedule and in Detroit’s gym (“The Pizza Box“). The Pistons won on Oct. 29, courtesy of Cunningham’s 30-piece double-double and 23 points from Harris. Orlando evened the ledger on Nov. 28 with 112-109 win. Banchero was on ice, but Bane scored 37 and the defense forced 24 turnovers.

The regular-season series shifted to Orlando (“The O-Zone“) for the schedule’s back end. On March 1, the Pistons notched a 14-point win, as their defense induced gnarly 37.7/27.8 percent shooting splits. They even overcame a terrible 4-for-30 performance from beyond the arc. The Magic bounced back for an April 6 equalizer, though the visitors were down Cunningham and Harris.

Pistons vs. Magic playoff history

The Pistons hold a 3-1 edge. Three of these four playoff meet-ups were one-sided. In 2008, the Pistons took their second-round series in five games. Richard Hamilton headed that effort at 23.6 points per game. That same Detroit core scored an opening sweep the year before, with Chauncey Billups as the leading scorer. And the Magic had a first-round sweep of their own in 1996, spearheaded by Shaquille O’Neal and Penny Hardaway.

Their lone thriller came in the first round of the 2003 bracket. Orlando cracked a quick 3-1 lead behind Tracy McGrady … only to lose the next three games for a deflating collapse. It was the first blown 3-1 series lead for then-Magic coach Doc Rivers. It would not be his last, or even his second-to-last.

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