Detroit Pistons

2024-02-04

Franz Wagner torches Detroit Pistons ballyhooed young core in Orlando Magic 111-99 win

Omari Sankofa II, Detroit Free Press

The Detroit Pistons had no answer Sunday for Franz Wagner.

Wagner, the Orlando Magic's third-year standout forward (and a Michigan alumnus), outdueled the Pistons' prized young core at Little Caesars Arena, pouring in 38 points on 17-for-25 shooting to help the Magic snuff the Pistons, 111-99.

The Pistons' second unit, led by Ausar Thompson (17 points, seven rebounds, three blocks) and Alec Burks (10 points), brought Detroit back to tie the game at 78 early in the fourth. But the Pistons lost the final quarter, 33-24, as Wagner scored 16 in the final period to help close out the win. As a team, the Magic shot 12-for-17 overall and scored easily on the Pistons' putrid defense.

"He’s just big," Pistons coach Monty Williams said of Wagner. "When you have a 6-9 guy that can run pick-and-roll, he can see the floor. Smaller guys, when you put bigger guys on them, they have to create some distance to see the floor. He can see the floor, and then he’s got a big euro-step.

"He euro-steps around the help, so you almost are better off switching with him just to keep the ball in front. Tonight, a couple times he just blew by us and got to the rim. He's a pretty efficient pick-and-roll player because of his size, and he has good feel."

Cade Cunningham (18 points, seven assists, five rebounds) and Jaden Ivey (18 points) led the Pistons in scoring.

2022 No. 1 overall pick Paolo Banchero added 20 points and seven assists for Orlando (27-23), a club that has risen from its rebuild over the past year-plus, while the NBA-worst Pistons (6-43) continue to flounder. The Magic are tied for sixth in the Eastern Conference.

Moritz Wagner, Franz's elder brother and also a Michigan alumnus, added 10 points, five rebounds and four assists off the bench, and Gary Harris (Michigan State) collected 10 points.

The Pistons started hot, taking a 21-12 lead with 4:50 left in the first quarter. But the Magic, a top-five defense this season, clamped down. The Pistons made just 33% of their attempts in the second quarter and 38.5% in the third, falling behind by 12 points during the latter period.

The Pistons next begin a six-game road trip Wednesday in Sacramento. The trade deadline is Thursday at 3 p.m.

Ivey stays consistent as two-way performer

He had to claw his way toward the top of Williams’ rotation early in the season. But since Ivey was reinserted back into the starting lineup for good Dec. 18, he has been one of Detroit’s most reliable players — on both ends.

In that 22-game stretch enter Sunday, he’s averaging 17.7 points (46.3% overall, 36.6% from 3, 66.4% at the foul line), 4.9 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 2.7 turnovers. He has been even better in his past 10 games, averaging 18.9 points while knocking down 47.4% of his field goals and 40.4% of his 3-pointers. His trademark speed has posed problems for opposing defenses — he got to the rim nearly at will as he poured 28 points on the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday.

Ivey showed he could score during his standout rookie season. His defense is starting to catch up. He has become one of the league’s best shot-blocking guards, with 10 in his past 11 games. He showed that improvement on both ends early Sunday.

Within the game's first few minutes, he stole a pass from Wendell Carter Jr. for a layup, knocked down a pull-up 3-pointer and rejected a layup attempt by Banchero. Beyond the blocks, he has been more disciplined in his fouling. The Pistons have been an improved offensive team over the past month, and Ivey’s breakout is a significant factor in it. (Ivey did have four turnovers Sunday, part of the Pistons' 15 compared to 10 for the Magic.)

Thompson finding way back in rotation

The game nearly got away from the Pistons in the third quarter, when the Magic built a 12-point lead — their biggest of the day— with three minutes to play. Thompson capped an 11-2 run to close the period, bringing the Pistons within striking distance, with a putback dunk. The third quarter was the rookie’s best, as he tallied nine points, four rebounds and a block in eight minutes.

"Defensively, he was active," Williams said. "I don’t know how many deflections he had tonight. He was able to stay in front of the ball. That’s why matchups, in my opinion, don’t mean anything anymore because teams just screen you off. You end up guarding a not-so-prime-time guy. But when he was able to keep the matchup, I thought he did a decent job staying in front of the ball.

"And then offensively he was attacking the rim. I want him to keep shooting the ball, I thought he turned down a few shots tonight. But when he did attack the rim, he was pretty productive."

Thompson closed the game for the Pistons, due to his energizing play. He has spent significant time at power forward since the trade that brought Mike Muscala and Danilo Gallinari to Detroit, averaging 23.1 minutes per game since Jan. 15. He averaged just 14.4 minutes in the 10 games prior while competing for minutes with the since-traded Isaiah Livers.