The Orlando Magic’s Game 6 meltdown against the Detroit Pistons is going to hang around for a while, and the only thing left for this team to do is turn it into something useful.
Last season’s first-round series had the Magic sitting on a 3-1 lead and staring at a chance to do something they had not done in 16 years: win a playoff series. They were also one half away from knocking off the No. 1-seeded Pistons. Then the bottom fell out.
Orlando led by 24 points, but the second half turned into a nightmare. The Magic missed 23 straight shots and went 45 minutes of real time without making one. Detroit fed off that offensive freeze, stormed back to take Game 6, and then finished the job in Game 7.
That collapse was one part of a larger breakdown that saw Orlando waste the 3-1 advantage entirely. After the loss, Paolo Banchero was among the players who made it clear the team had to get better if it wanted to do anything in the postseason.
On the latest episode of "This Magic Moment," I joined my colleague RJ Saunders to talk through what that loss means now, and the blunt answer is that it has to be motivation.
"Well, in concrete terms, that's all it can be, RJ: a source of motivation. I mean, we're talking about one of the great collapses in NBA history.
It was absolutely egregious what that second half of Game 6 turned into, you know, in terms of- I believe they only scored 17 points, right, missed 23 or 24 shots in a row, went 45 minutes of real time without hitting a shot. It was just an absolute epic collapse.
And at the end of that series, you know, we saw great games from Paolo Banchero in Games 5 and 7. That was the type of superstar he could be, but it wasn't enough, and he was very candid in that Game 7 postgame session after they were eliminated, talking about, like, 'We're not good enough right now,' you know?
I mean, he basically said that in so many words. And in his offseason media appearances, like with Stephen A.
Smith a couple of months ago, he talked about the work he's putting into his body, trying to become more durable so he can be there for his team.
But he also talked about, you know, not getting complacent and how, when he first made the playoffs as a young player, he was just thankful to be there. This team has passed that point.
Three years in a row, they have shown that they can be a postseason participant, but that is all they have been. They have been knocked out all three times in the first round.
This is a franchise that has not won a playoff series since 2010, right? So this fan base is hungry.
This team is hungry because they do have the pieces, and Paolo can be the guy. And this team, together, when it's at its best, we saw what it can do.
It can push around the number one seat in the East, right? And so, there are things that are going to have to play in their favor."
In Other News...
Nikola Jokic Just Put A Surprising Matchup Problem On Notice
Wendell Carter Jr. has quietly become one of the more interesting matchup pieces in Orlandos frontcourt whenever Denver shows up on the schedule. Against the Nuggets, Carter has done more than hold his own offensively, averaging 17 points per game against Denver as of the 2026 NBA season, and his ability to blend size, mobility, and skill gives the Magic a big man who can stay on the floor in a variety of looks.
Nikola Jokic has taken notice, naming Carter among the toughest defenders in the league, which says plenty about the kind of problem Orlando can create with him. Carter also flashed that value in a December 2025 game against Denver, when he posted a season-high 26 points while adding rebounds, blocks, and steals, a reminder that this is not just a defensive body check for Jokic but a two-way test the Nuggets have to prepare for every time. [Read more 🡒]
Derrick White Rumors Put Celtics Fans On Edge For One Reason
Bostons decision to move on from Jaylen Brown has only sharpened the focus on the rest of its core, and Derrick White quickly became the name that stirred up the most nerves. The Celtics have gotten multiple inquiries about White, but they have made it clear they are not interested in dealing him, a stance that makes sense for a team trying to stay competitive while recalibrating around its best pieces.
For Orlando, the broader ripple effect is hard to ignore. The Magic are staring at their own financial crossroads with key players such as Paolo Banchero to consider, even as no trade is currently being reported, and the leaguewide chatter around guards like Darius Garland, Shaedon Sharpe and Ty Jerome shows how quickly roster planning can shift. In that kind of market, White is exactly the sort of player teams keep circling, which is why Bostons firm line has mattered so much to anyone watching for possible movement. [Read more 🡒]
Magic Still Have One Issue That Could Decide Everything
For the Magic, the conversation around a contenders ceiling keeps circling back to something far less glamorous than scheme or shot-making: availability. Orlando has built around Jalen Suggs, Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, and the difference between a team with real postseason upside and one still fighting for traction often comes down to whether those key pieces are on the floor together.
It is a reminder that the leagues best teams are not always the ones with the flashiest star power, but the ones that can keep their core intact long enough to let it matter. Orlando has plenty to like when its main group is healthy, yet the nagging uncertainty around those injuries lingers over everything the Magic are trying to build, because the answer to that one issue could end up deciding the whole season. [Read more 🡒]