Throughout the course of a best-of-seven playoff series, there are bound to be role players on either team that help shift a game one way or the other, even in limited action on the court.
In Game 3 for Orlando versus Detroit, that was Jamal Cain.
The Magic forward, who started the regular season on a two-way contract before he signed a standard NBA deal to become playoff eligible, scored seven points in 14 minutes and added one rebound against the Pistons.
Those numbers don’t exactly jump out on a stat sheet, but they go a long way in a back-and-forth battle such as Game 3. Timing can also be key.
Take for example his corner 3-pointer that came with less than a minute left in the third quarter and helped the Magic go from up just eight points to leading by double digits again.
“It’s just those little things like that, that the guys have trust in him,” Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said about the Michigan native. “They celebrate him when he has some success, but he just does all the little things within a game, rebounding, guarding multiple players.
“And just does it without saying anything, just (does) what’s necessary to help this team get a win,” the Magic coach added.
While this fist-round series is Cain’s first time seeing the floor in the playoffs, he’s witnessed success in the postseason in the past watching from the bench. As a rookie on a two-way contract, Cain was a member of Miami’s 2022-23 squad that reached the NBA Finals as a No. 8 seed.
After spending much of his first four years on a two-way contract with three teams (Miami, New Orleans and Orlando), Cain appears to have found his spot with the Magic as a 3-and-D type prospect who can knock down triples on offense and defend various positions on the other end.
During the final 17 games of the regular season, Cain averaged 9 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists while shooting 38% from 3-point range during 19.6 minutes per night.
Magic guard Desmond Bane saw Cain’s potential as early as over the summer during voluntary workouts before the team even reported for training camp.
“I knew he was a rotational player (back) in open gym,” Bane said after shootaround inside the AdventHealth Training Center ahead of Monday’s Game 4 against the Pistons. “Just the way he defends, the way he’s able to make open shots … (He’s) unselfish and plays extremely hard. Those guys don’t grow on trees.
“So, I knew it was only a matter of time, and in this league when you get your opportunity, you’ve got to be ready,” Bane added. “And he was ready.”
Game 5 on Wednesday between the Magic and Pistons inside Little Caesars Arena will tip off at 7 p.m., the league announced late Sunday night.
The game will be streamed nationally on Amazon’s Prime Video. It can also be heard on Orlando radio station 96.9 The Game.
Jason Beede can be reached at jbeede@orlandosentinel.com