Paolo Banchero unsure of Magic’s title chances after loss

Detroit — Paolo Banchero Wanted to say something diplomatic. He just couldn’t do it.

Shortly after Banchero Orlando Magic is lost 116–94 from Detroit Pistons In Game 7 of their first-round playoff series on Sunday, he was asked if they had enough talent to win in the NBA.

Seated on stage at the postgame news conference, Banchero hesitated before answering.

“I’d like to say yes, but this is the third time we haven’t made it out of the first round,” he said. “So, if you’re going by the last three years, the answer is no. Nice answer is yes, but honestly, I can’t say we’re good enough to be in the finals or the Eastern finals because we’ve had the same results the last three years. So, that’s your answer.”

Banchero has every reason to wonder. He averaged 20 points in the first four games of the series Franz Wagner Orlando scored 17.8 points per game as it went 3-1.

Wagner, however, was suffering from a right calf injury that kept him out of the last three matches. Banchero picked up his pace, averaging 33.3 points over the final three games, including 38 in Game 7, but he never got help.

He had 32 points on 12-for-22 (54.5%) shooting through the first three quarters Sunday, but his teammates made 27% of their shots (10-for-32) and scored 32 more. Banchero is 4-for-7 on 3-pointers (57%), while his teammates are 4-for-16 (25%).

“We just couldn’t find the basket,” Orlando coach Jamahl Mosley said. We were playing good defense, but couldn’t put the ball in the hole.

That limited five terrific quarters of offense that gave Orlando a chance to win the series as the No. 8 seed.

It started at halftime of Game 6. The Magic had as comfortable as a 22-point lead, but managed just 19 points on 10.8% shooting in the second half.

They scored 49 points in the first half Sunday, then dropped to 15 in the third quarter as the Pistons built a 19-point lead. That’s 83 points in six quarters — an average of 16.6 points. That’s a pace of 66.4 points for four quarters, which would have struggled to win playoff games in the 1950s, much less the 2020s. Mosley, however, was not ready to question his list.

“There’s time to reflect on this and start thinking about the changes we might be able to make,” he said. “Kudos to these guys today and how they gave us a chance to play in a Game 7. They fought and fought. We just couldn’t get the job done.”

On the other side of Little Caesars Arena, the Pistons were talking about how they solved the same problem Orlando couldn’t.

Cade Cunningham Averaged 32.5 points in first six games, but wasn’t getting enough help. On Sunday, he put up 32 more points, but Tobias Harris Added 30, and Jalen Duren Had 15 points and 15 rebounds.

“No one can tell me (stuff) about Tobias Harris,” Pistons coach JB Bickerstaff said. “He’s a leader and a great person, and he’s a high-level competitor. He showed up tonight and did what he did with everything on the line.”

Harris and Duren Banchero did what teammates couldn’t, causing the Pistons to advance to the second round.