ORLANDO, Fla. \u2014The Orlando Magic are one win away from knocking off a No. 1 seed and winning their first playoff series in 16 years. <\/p>\n
They’re not celebrating yet.<\/p>\n
Desmond Bane scored 22 points, Franz Wagner had 19 in three quarters and the Magic beat the Detroit Pistons 94-88 Monday night to take a 3-1 series lead, putting the East\u2019s No. 1 seed on the brink of elimination.<\/p>\n
Game 5 is Wednesday night in Detroit.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe put our ourselves in position to try to get four, but right now it means nothing,\u201d Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said. \u201cWe have the advantage and now we have to try and make sure we keep that advantage.\u201d <\/p>\n
Orlando, which had to win an elimination game at home in the play-in tournament, is on the verge of becoming just the seventh No. 8 seed to defeat a No. 1 in a series in league history. It’s happened only four times since the playoffs were expanded to a best-of-seven series for all rounds in 2003.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a team that won 60 games. I\u2019m sure they\u2019re not blinking an eye about not being able to win three games in a row,\u201d Bane said. \u201cThey did it multiple times throughout the regular season.\u201d<\/p>\n
Paolo Banchero scored 18 points for the Magic on 4-of-18 shooting. Orlando shot just 32.6%, with Jalen Suggs going 1 for 13, including 1 for 11 from 3-point range.<\/p>\n
The Magic overcame their shooting woes by protecting the ball. They had only 12 turnovers to 20 for Detroit.<\/p>\n
Cade Cunningham led the Pistons with 25 points and Tobias Harris had 20. Cunningham had eight turnovers.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe went into the series saying we needed to win a possession game,\u201d Harris said. \u201cThat came down to the rebounding battle and also taking care of the basketball and in all of our losses that\u2019s what we haven\u2019t been at our best at. Obviously, we need to limit them from going to the free-throw line. They\u2019ve been able to get us in close-out situations and break us down, get to the lane.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wagner left with 1:34 left in the third quarter due to right calf soreness.<\/p>\n
Jamal Cain replaced Wagner and electrified the crowd with a driving dunk<\/a> over Jalen Duren early in the fourth quarter. He also had a one-handed tip-in dunk that made it 87-85 with 4:55 to go.<\/p>\n Suggs missed his first eight shots before nailing a 3-pointer from the corner for an 85-80 lead. But Ausar Thompson\u2019s layup tied it before Cain\u2019s putback.<\/p>\n