After dropping Game 1 of their first-round playoff series versus the Magic, the Detroit Pistons responded in Game 2 with a 30-3 run that propelled them to secure the victory. They looked like the No. 1 team in the East, but in Game 3 on Saturday, they looked like an inexperienced No. 8 seed.
Detroit sat atop the conference for most of the season, which only escalated the chatter about how far the team could go in the playoffs. Regular-season success doesn't always translate into postseason success, and the Pistons' inexperience has been a constant talking point.
Unfortunately, after Saturday's loss, it still very much is. Detroit failed to rise to the occasion and keep the momentum going in its favor.
Pistons' playoff inexperience is a problem
Cade Cunningham shot 8-of-23 from the field and had as many assists (nine) as he did turnovers. You can put some of the blame on the Pistons' front office for requiring a lot from him as a scorer and creator, but he can't have that kind of game in the postseason, accounting for more than half of the team's total turnovers (16).
Magic finished with 24 points off turnovers.
— Hunter Patterson (@HunterPatterson) April 25, 2026
Of course, it doesn't help that Jalen Duren is supposed to be the guard's co-star, a memo he didn't get. He had a fantastic regular season, only to fade when the lights got brighter. Detroit has to find a way to get him going in Game 4 to have a chance to return to Little Caesars Arena with the series tied at 2-2.
Pistons haven't truly looked like the No. 1 seed
The Magic, who everyone assumed wouldn't make it past the play-in tournament, and if they did, they certainly wouldn't make it to the second round, faced the pressure in Game 3 and played with composure. They executed down the stretch, a trait that top seeds should possess.
You can tell that Orlando has the edge in playoff experience over Detroit, as 2026 marks its third straight postseason appearance. The Magic have failed to make it past the first round, though, losing to the Cavaliers in 2024 in a seven-game series and to the Celtics last year in five games.
They just inched closer to the kind of breakthrough that they've needed, but fans thought was out of the question for this season.
How Detroit responds to start (and end) Game 4 could determine how the rest of the series plays out. They need to come out swinging, and if it comes down to the wire, they have to come through in the clutch.
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