Paolo Banchero and the Orlando Magic made sure to let the Detroit Pistons know that their first-round matchup won’t be a walk in the park.
Facing the Eastern Conference’s No. 1 seed in enemy territory at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Mich., Banchero and the Magic took the fight to the home team and came away with a stunning 112-101 victory in Game 1 of their series.
The Magic outscored Detroit in three quarters and built a lead as big as 13 points. They weathered Detroit’s comeback attempts and now sit on a 1-0 series lead.
Banchero, who constantly faced criticism amid the Magic’s struggles during the regular season, left little for his critics to pick apart as he led Orlando with 23 points on 8/15 shooting, along with 9 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 steal in 37 minutes.
The former Duke Blue Devil doesn’t just have his eyes on pulling off a stunning upset of a top seed in the first round; he also believes the Magic can win it all in the playoffs.
“At the end of the day, we’re here in the playoffs, and we have a chance to go and do what we set out to do since October,” Banchero told reporters in the postgame press conference, via Orlando’s X account.
There is still a long way to go in their series against Detroit, but the Magic definitely gave themselves a big shot in the arm by taking Game 1. They will look to do it again in Game 2 on Wednesday, before flying home for Games 3 and 4.
