ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Paolo Banchero scored 31 points, Desmond Bane added 25 and the Orlando Magic beat the Detroit Pistons 123-107 on Monday night.
Jalen Suggs had 12 points, 12 assists, six rebounds and three steals for the Magic, who won for the fourth time in five games.
Jalen Duren and Daniss Jenkins scored 18 points apiece for Detroit. Kevin Huerter and Javonte Green added 17 each for the Pistons, who had 21 turnovers.
Having clinched the top playoff
spot in the Eastern Conference on Saturday, the Pistons were without eight players, including Tobias Harris, Duncan Robinson, Caris LeVert and All-Star Cade Cunningham, who missed his 11th straight game with a collapsed lung.
The Magic, playing for position in the packed middle of the Eastern Conference standings, kept alive their chances of finishing as high as sixth. With three games remaining in the regular season, Orlando could also finish as low as 10th.
Orlando played without forward Franz Wagner, whose high ankle sprain was subject to “injury management” after his three-game return from a long absence. Anthony Black, who had missed 15 games with an abdominal strain, returned and scored 14 points in 15 minutes for the Magic.
The first of two Bane 3-pointers in a span of 16 seconds put the Magic up 33-31 early in the second quarter, and they led the rest of the game.
Banchero scored twice during a 12-0 run that stretched Orlando's lead to 26 points late in the third quarter.
Green and Huerter led a late rally by the Pistons, and a 3-pointer by Jenkins cut the margin to three points with 4:07 left before the Magic pulled away.
Pistons: Host Milwaukee on Wednesday.
Magic: Host Minnesota on Wednesday.
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