Cade Cunningham leads the Pistons in Game 6 vs the Magic in the playoffs

We have reached one of the best days of the week. Work ends, we return home, open a cold one and reach far. Tonight, my TV will be locked to three different NBA games that will all be close games.

There are two Eastern Conference matchups and one Western Conference battle. It starts with the Pistons looking to force a Game 7 in Detroit.

The Pistons have won many games in the Eastern Conference this season. While that’s true, they didn’t look like a dominant team in the first round of the playoffs. That’s not to say that Detroit has been worse, but it looks like some mistakes that didn’t hurt the team’s play and progression, exposed in a seven-game set.

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They’re down, but not out, and if they win tonight, they’ll be able to take the series back to Detroit in a crucial Game 7.

I feel like we need to take a moment to appreciate how good Cade Cunningham has been this series. He was drafted in the first round of the 2021 draft, so it’s not like anyone is shocked that he’s good at basketball.

Anthony Black of the Orlando Magic drives the ball against the Detroit Pistons in the fourth quarter at the Kia Center in Orlando, Fla., on April 6, 2026. (Rich Story/Getty Images)

His first year in the league was decent, almost matching the number 1 pick. His second year was marred by injuries. In the third year, there were still injuries, and the team was a disaster. Last year, he rebounded and averaged 26.1 points per game. His Pistons team was fearless against the Knicks. This year, he led them to 60 wins and averaged 32.6 points per game in the playoffs.

It is not the first time that the eighth seed has had the opportunity to upset the first seed. The Magic are in a position to add their names to the list of teams that will accomplish this task. They need to win one of their next two games to qualify.

Technically, they will have had three chances to close out the series. The biggest problem with Magic is that the team relies on everyone being there. It seems obvious that if you lose one of your best players, like Franz Wagner, you will struggle. But, the magic is built around Wagern’s separation, the physicality and overall ability of Paolo Banchero, the shooting of Desmond Bane and the defense of Wendell Carter Jr. and Jalen Suggs.

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If you remove one of those players, the team suffers. Every team can do it when you take away their second-place player, but Wagner’s absence hurts the most.

I expect him not to be in this game, and if he does, I would be hesitant to see him play much or at his usual level of production. He had 19 points in 24 minutes before he sat out the game in Game 4. The good news for Orlando is that this one is at home, so the role players may step up a bit.

Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham celebrates during the first half of an NBA game against the Indiana Pacers in Indianapolis on Nov. 24, 2025. (Michael Conroy/AP)

In Game 5, the Pistons took advantage of Wagner’s absence. Banchero was good, putting up 45 points, but Cunningham matched that output and was very efficient. Jamal Cain, who looked impressive in Game 5, started for the Magic, but only played 25 minutes. Anthony Black got about 40 minutes and was decent in his role.

The Pistons beat the Magic by just seven points in that game. Orlando outscored the Pistons in two of four quarters, and despite a bad first quarter, the Magic looked like the better team.

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I’m surprised the Pistons are popular. The Magic have looked good at home and haven’t lost yet. Both teams are full of role players and stars. The problem is that the characters are not good on the road. Give me a spell to close, and I’ll spray the money line as I think they’ll win on the home floor.

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