Paolo Banchero delivered a stellar 31-point performance while Desmond Bane contributed 25 points as the Orlando Magic fought off a late Detroit comeback to defeat the Pistons 123-107 on Monday night.
The Magic received strong bench production from Anthony Black, who added 14 points in the victory. Orlando also got balanced scoring from Wendell Carter Jr., Jalen Suggs, and Tristan da Silva, who each tallied 12 points. Suggs also recorded a personal-best 12 assists for the evening. The win marked Orlando’s fourth victory in their last five contests.
Currently sitting at 43-36, the Magic find themselves in a three-way deadlock for seventh place in the Eastern Conference alongside Charlotte and Philadelphia. All three teams trail Toronto by just half a game for the sixth seed.
Detroit was paced by Jalen Duren and Daniss Jenkins, who each scored 18 points in the loss. The Pistons, now 57-22 on the season, had already secured the Eastern Conference’s top playoff position for the first time since the 2006-07 campaign following Saturday’s victory over Philadelphia.
Kevin Huerter and Javonte Green each contributed 17 points for Detroit. The Pistons found themselves trailing by as much as 26 points during the third quarter but mounted a fourth-quarter surge, opening the final period with a 10-0 scoring run. Detroit managed to cut the deficit to just four points at 109-105 before Orlando closed the game with a decisive 14-2 run.
Spurs 115, 76ers 102
Stephon Castle recorded his fifth career triple-double, posting 19 points, 13 assists, and 10 rebounds as San Antonio defeated Philadelphia at home.
The Spurs played the entire second half without star big man Victor Wembanyama, who was sidelined with a left rib injury sustained during a second-quarter collision with Philadelphia’s Paul George. Wembanyama had scored 17 points before departing.
At 60-19, San Antonio remains mathematically alive for the league’s best record but would need to win their final three home games while Oklahoma City loses three of their remaining four contests. Joel Embiid led Philadelphia with 34 points and 12 rebounds.
Nuggets 137, Trail Blazers 132 (OT)
Aaron Gordon’s timely perimeter shooting sparked Denver’s comeback from an 18-point deficit to edge Portland in overtime.
The Nuggets trailed for most of regulation before Gordon’s deep two-pointer from the right corner gave Denver a 125-123 advantage with 27 seconds left. Gordon had tied the game moments earlier with a three-pointer from the opposite corner, finishing with 23 points.
Portland’s Deni Avdija forced overtime with a paint score, but Gordon opened the extra session with another crucial three-pointer as Denver outscored the Trail Blazers 10-3 to start overtime. Nikola Jokic recorded his 33rd triple-double of the season with 35 points, 14 rebounds, and 13 assists.
Knicks 108, Hawks 105
Jalen Brunson’s go-ahead basket with 29.8 seconds remaining, followed by his defensive stop on CJ McCollum’s potential game-tying three-pointer at the buzzer, lifted New York past Atlanta.
Brunson scored 17 of his 30 points in the final quarter, including 14 of New York’s last 16 points. His decisive 19-foot jumper bounced twice on the rim before falling through after he drove past McCollum.
OG Anunoby added 22 points while Karl-Anthony Towns recorded 21 points and 12 rebounds, helping the 51-28 Knicks overcome a 10-point third-quarter deficit. Atlanta’s Nickeil Alexander-Walker led all scorers with 36 points and seven three-pointers, while Jalen Johnson contributed 21 points and 11 rebounds. The loss was just Atlanta’s fourth in 23 games since the All-Star break.
Cavaliers 142, Grizzlies 126
Cleveland erased a 17-point first-half deficit to defeat Memphis on the road, securing the franchise’s 14th 50-win season despite the Grizzlies tying the NBA record for most three-pointers made in a single game.
Evan Mobley topped Cleveland’s scoring with 24 points, while Dennis Schroder added 22 points and 11 assists. Sam Merrill chipped in 21 points, and Keon Ellis contributed 19 points and eight assists for the Cavaliers, who improved to 50-29 with their ninth win in 11 games.
Memphis, plagued by injuries all season long, dropped their fifth consecutive game and 18th in their last 20 outings to fall to 25-54. However, the Grizzlies made history by matching the NBA record for three-pointers when Adama Bal connected on their 29th attempt with 1:41 remaining, tying marks previously set by Boston in 2024 and Milwaukee in 2020. Memphis finished an impressive 29-of-59 from beyond the arc.
