The Orlando Magic made history on May 1 — but not the kind any team wants. After taking a commanding 22-point lead into halftime against the Detroit Pistons, the Magic suffered a stunning collapse that will go down as one of the most shocking offensive meltdowns in NBA playoff history.
Orlando had dominated the second quarter, outscoring the Pistons 35-12 and looking poised to eliminate the Eastern Conference's top seed. Only six No. 8 seeds have ever knocked off a No. 1 since the league expanded to 16 teams in 1984, and the Magic seemed ready to join that exclusive club. But basketball is a game of runs, and the Pistons had the last word.
Playing without injured forward Franz Wagner, the Magic completely lost their rhythm after the break. They missed an astonishing 23 consecutive field goal attempts — the longest such drought since the NBA began digital play-by-play tracking in 1997-98. The previous record was held by the Sacramento Kings, who missed 22 straight in 2001.
Orlando managed just 19 points in the entire second half, shattering the previous record for fewest points in a playoff half (23, set by the Utah Jazz in the 1998 NBA Finals). For more than 14 minutes of game time — and 45 minutes in real time — the Magic couldn't buy a bucket against the league's third-ranked defense. The drought finally ended on an uncontested dunk by Paolo Banchero, but by then the damage was done.
Pistons guard Cade Cunningham was unstoppable, matching Orlando's entire second-half output with 19 points in the fourth quarter alone. Detroit turned a nine-point deficit early in the final frame into a 93-79 victory at the Kia Center, forcing a decisive Game 7 on May 3.
"I think they were playing more desperate than us, playing harder than us," said Magic guard Desmond Bane, who finished with 17 points. "Whether it was offensive rebounds or heating up their pressure to get steals, they really took us out of everything."
For Orlando, the collapse is a painful reminder that no lead is safe in the playoffs — and that history can be made for all the wrong reasons.