ORLANDO -- After suffering a tough loss in the first game of a brief road trip, the Detroit Pistons will try and get back on the winning track on Saturday night when they visit the Orlando Magic.
The Pistons were in tight with the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday night. After falling behind early, Detroit slowly chipped away at the Hornets' lead before Tobias Harris and company led the charge in the fourth quarter, outscoring Charlotte 30-16 to force overtime. However, their luck ran out in the extra frame, as they went on to lose by a final score of 123-121.
Cade Cunningham registered another double-double with 27 points and 10 assists, while Harris chimed in with 26 points. Malik Beasley notched 16 points in the losing effort. The Pistons remain seventh in the Eastern Conference, nine games back of the first-place Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Magic are trying to establish themselves as one of the early favorites in the East. They are hot coming into Saturday night, having won seven of their past 10 games, including a one-point win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night. The team has also been a strong force at home so far, winning their last seven contests in Orlando. The Magic is fourth in the conference, six games behind the Cavs.
This is the first of three meetings between the Pistons and Magic this season. Detroit has lost six straight to Orlando dating back to the 2022-23 campaign.