The Detroit Pistons and Orlando Magic are getting set to face-off in Game 2 of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs. Given Orlando’s status as an eighth seed, their inconsistent regular season, and Detroit’s dominant campaign, most people (myself included) thought this would be a cakewalk for the Pistons.
However, the Magic shocked us all in a Game 1 victory that proved that they are finally clicking and that they can exploit the Pistons’ lack of true two-way players. Oddsmakers still believe that the Pistons are in the driver’s seat to win this series, as they are a nine-point favorite in Game 2 (right around the spread from Game 1), and have -220 odds (an implied probability of -68.8%) to win the series.
To make this come to fruition, the Pistons either need Ausar Thompson and Ron Holland to find ways to exist on offense, Daniss Jenkins and Duncan Robinson to stop getting hunted on defense, or Kevin Huerter and Caris LeVert to step into larger roles. But more than anything, they need their All-Star big man to live up to his reputation.
Jalen Duren Needs A Big Game 2
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last few days, you are likely aware of Jalen Duren’s unspectacular Game 1 performance.
The Pistons can’t win this series without Duren. This season, they led the entire NBA in points in the paint per game (per NBA.com). A big reason why is Duren’s merciless pursuit of shots at the basket. Outside of Giannis Antetokounmpo, no one attempted rim field goal attempts at a higher clip than Duren (he and Zion Williamson were tied for second-place in this category, per Dunks & Threes).
In Game 1, Duren only attempted four field goals. A big reason for this was Detroit’s lack of spacing making it easy for Orlando to pack the paint on him. But the thing is, the Pistons’ spacing concerns are nothing new (29th in 3-point rate during the regular season). I hate to sound like a fake tough guy here, but Duren needs to be the human adonis that he is and fight through the extra physicality and be the biggest man in the room.
On defense, Duren has always struggled with defending in space (particularly in the pick-and-roll) and lapses in threat detection around the rim. Those weaknesses were magnified in the first match (see the tweet above). Some of this is on head coach J.B. Bickerstaff to put him in better spots, but again, Duren needs to make the classic “play better” adjustment in Game 2 if the Pistons are going to avoid the dreaded 0-2 hole.
How to watch Pistons vs. Magic Game 2 of the 2026 NBA Playoffs
Date: April 22, 2026
Time: 7 p.m. ET
TV/Streaming: ABC/ESPN
Location: Detroit, Michigan
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