The Orlando Magic (31-27) are looking to bounce back against the Detroit Pistons (44-14) on Sunday at 6 p.m. The season series is tied at 1-1, with the Magic winning their most recent matchup off the backs of Desmond Bane’s season-high 37-point performance.
In the month of February, Bane averaged 24.7 points on 59% shooting from the field and 49% from three. He also had four games scoring 30+ points, including three in Orlando’s last four contests.
“I think that all the work that I’ve been putting in is showing up,” Bane said. “My teammates believe in me, my coach believes in me. The work has been put in and I was going out there and playing free every night.”
Recent signee Jevon Carter has provided a boost off of Orlando’s bench, averaging 7.2 points through his first six games. In three of the contests, he has scored 14+ points for the team.
“He’s brought a ton to our locker room,” Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said of Carter. “He picks up full court. He’s about winning on winning terms and that’s what he wants to do. Doesn’t care how it gets done, he just wants the job done. Not afraid to take the big shot and not afraid to make the right pass.” https://twitter.com/OrlandoMagic/status/2027211515401503185?s=20
Jalen Suggs is healthy after missing three games with a back strain and is off the injury report heading into the matchup. Suggs returned in the loss against the Rockets on Thursday.
“He is trying to come back from being away for a while,” Mosley said about Suggs’ return. “So just trying to find that rhythm, trying to find himself within the game.”
MVP candidate Cade Cunningham is averaging 25.4 points, 9.8 assists (first in the East), and 5.8 rebounds a night for a Pistons team that has the best win percentage in the NBA.
The Pistons grade out as the second-best defense (108.5) and the tenth-best offense (116.5), tying the Boston Celtics for the NBA’s second-best net rating (8.1). Detroit also leads the association in both steals (10.6) and blocks (6.4) per game, averaging 17 stocks total.
Coming off of a loss this season, the Magic boast a 9-3 record at home and a 17-9 record overall in their next game.
“We’re gonna respond for sure,” Bane said after the Rockets loss. “I mean, I think we’ve done that all season long. There was that stretch that we went on when we were winning a game, losing a game, winning a game, losing a game. I don’t think responding is something that this team struggled with. So two days off, good opportunity after coming off the west coast trip right out of the break to kind of reset. Excited for another game at home.”