The Orlando Magic are two wins away from pulling off one of the biggest upsets in NBA history against the Detroit Pistons. Orlando headed into the first-round matchup as heavy underdogs against Detroit after needing two Play-In Tournament matchups to punch their ticket to the NBA playoffs.
Since 2012, only two No. 8 seeds have upset a No. 1 seed in the first round of the NBA playoffs.
After the Magic survived an impressive run by the Pistons to win Game 3, Paolo Banchero made it clear that Orlando is not intimidated by the Pistons being the top seed in the Eastern Conference.
“I haven’t learned anything,” Banchero told NBC Sports in the April 25, 2026, interview. “We got a lot of respect for those guys over there, but we know how we stack up.
“We know what we got in this locker room, and so we don’t fear them. We got a lot of respect. And we just gonna have to bring it on Monday (in Game 4).”
Paolo Banchero Was 1 Assist Shy of Posting a Triple-Double vs. Pistons in Game 3
Banchero posted 25 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists in Game 3. The star was one assist away from notching a triple-double.
Banchero’s performance was highlighted by a fortunate bounce to hit a clutch three-pointer with 38 seconds remaining to help the Magic go up 2-1 in the series. The Pistons will look to even the series in Game 4 on Monday, April 27, at 8 p.m. Eastern on NBC.
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