The Orlando Magic and Detroit Pistons enter a decisive Game 7 on Sunday at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit after the No. 1 seed in the East turned a 3-1 deficit into a 3-3 matchup heading into the series finale.
Orlando had two chances to clinch their second-round berth and even held a 24-point lead in Game 6, but ended up losing 93-79 on Friday, scoring just 19 second-half points.
One of the main reasons Orlando has faltered of late was the absence of forward Franz Wagner in the last two games after he played a key role in the first four, averaging 16.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.8 steals.
The German finished the regular season averaging 20.6 points and 5.2 rebounds during the regular season, appearing in 34 games.
Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Wagner also served as the primary defender on Pistons guard Cade Cunningham while available, limiting him to 19 total points and forcing him to commit six turnovers across 86 possessions.
In bad news for Orlando's faithful and the team's chances of advancing, the Magic ruled Wagner out for Game 7 on Saturday with a right calf strain, marking his third consecutive missed game since the injury occurred in the third quarter of Game 4.
An MRI confirmed the strain after that game, and Wagner has not returned to action since.
Without Wagner, Detroit’s offense improved significantly, Cunningham averaged 38.5 points while shooting 50 percent from the field and 58 percent from three-point range, and the Magic lost both games.
Orlando will now attempt to advance without one of their best players having already failed twice at the same task, with Game 7 scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET.
