Magic HC Jamahl Mosley reveals when Pistons took over Game 2

Story by

Allan Binoy, ClutchPoints

Thu, Apr 23, 2026 ·

2 min read

Magic HC Jamahl Mosley reveals when Pistons took over Game 2 appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .

For 24 minutes on Wednesday night, the Orlando Magic looked like a team capable of taking a commanding series lead back to Florida. By the end of the third quarter, they looked like a group searching for an emergency exit.

The Detroit Pistons dismantled Orlando in a decisive 98-83 Game 2 victory, but the game wasn’t decided by a full 48-minute effort. Instead, it was a 12-minute nightmare in the third quarter where Detroit outscored the Magic 38-16. Following the loss, Orlando Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley didn’t mince words about exactly when the wheels fell off.

“They came out and added a level of aggression,” Mosley told reporters. “That first play we ran, they called an offensive foul on Des. And then from there they started picking up some heat, turned us over a couple of times, we missed a few shots at the rim, and that momentum just changed the game.”

The “Des” play Mosley referred to symbolized a night where Orlando simply couldn’t find the bottom of the net. The Magic shot a dismal 33.3% from the field and struggled against Detroit’s length. While Jalen Suggs led the way with 19 points and Paolo Banchero added 18, the rest of the roster went cold when the Pistons turned up the “heat.”

Detroit’s defense, anchored by Isaiah Stewart and Jalen Duren , met Orlando at the summit repeatedly. Meanwhile, Cade Cunningham picked the Magic apart, finishing with 27 points and 11 assists. The momentum shift Mosley described turned a tight contest into a blowout, leaving Magic fans on social media questioning the team’s second-half adjustments.

With the series now tied 1-1, the Magic return to the Kia Center on Saturday. If they want to regain control, they’ll need to match that “level of aggression” Mosley lamented losing in Motown.