MAGIC: Playoffs 2007: Magic vs. Pistons

Game 3 - Detroit Pistons 93, Orlando Magic 77

Pistons Lead Series 3-0 - April 26, 2007 - Amway Arena

	1	2	3	4	F
PISTONS	23	25	23	22	93
MAGIC	23	19	19	16	77

GAME INFO

Tipoff: 8:00 PM ET
TV: TNT/WRBW MY65 | Radio: WDBO AM 580 | Spanish Radio: AM 1030 WONQ
Theme Night: Code Blue
Giveaways: Code Blue T-Shirts (first 17,000) & Thunderstix (first 15,000) presented by Geico

By Matthew Gardner | OrlandoMagic.com

The first NBA Playoff game in the city of Orlando since 2003 didn't finish quite like the capacity crowd in attendance would have liked as the Magic fell behind 3-0 in its first round series with the Detroit Pistons.

After losses in the first two games played in Detroit, the Magic needed a strong performance in front of a rowdy Amway Arena crowd in order to avoid falling just one game away from elimination. Instead, the Eastern Conference No. 1 seed took it to the Magic and left the building with a 93-77 victory.

Detroit now stands just one game away from advancing to the next round. Game Four will be played on Saturday afternoon in Orlando.

A well-balanced scoring attack from the Pistons was led by Tayshaun Prince's 23 points. Chauncey Billups added 21, while Rasheed Wallace and Chris Webber each had 15 and Richard Hamilton added 10 points.

Jameer Nelson had his best game of this series, scoring 27 points on 10-of-19 shooting. Also scoring in double figures were Dwight Howard (11 points, 12 rebounds), Darko Milicic (11 points) and Hedo Turkoglu (10 points, 7 rebounds).

FOURTH QUARTER
Orlando down by 10 as the fourth quarter gets underway. A 3-0 deficit in this series would be nearly fatal for the Magic. Hamilton hits a jumper before the shot clock expires (how many times has that happened tonight??), but Dooling sinks one from the baseline at the other end. Prince then hits a three-pointer and now has 22 points. Pistons take a 76-63 lead. Wallace then hits a three and - oh, boy - Pistons are putting this game away. Milicic hits an outside jumper, which seemed pretty common last year, but rarely happened this season. Timeout on the floor. Magic down by 12, 79-67, with 8:59 remaining in the game.

Milicic's basket ties the game and he then gets a trip to the line on the next possession. He misses the first, but drops the second and it's now a nine-point ballgame with under 7:00 left to play. Webber misses a jumper, but gets the ball back after being tipped out by Wallace and makes a layup. Ariza is then called for an offensive foul. Timeout taken with 5:59 left.

Ariza takes a feed from Nelson and dunks it down, but Magic still trail by 11, 84-73, with 3:54 remaining. Billups then sinks a long two before the shot clock expires. Nelson then duplicates the feat with his own long two-pointer. TV timeout with 2:28 remaining. Detroit leads, 86-75. Unfortunately, lots of blue shirts heading for the exits. Not the type of outcome this Orlando crowd was looking for tonight.

Final minute here in Orlando and the Pistons have put this game out of reach. Orlando will enter Game Four in a must win situation and hopefully avoid Detroit breaking out the brooms at Amway Arena.

Final: Detroit Pistons 93, Orlando Magic 77

THIRD QUARTER
Magic with a better first half than its previous two games in these playoffs, but still trail the Pistons by six as the third quarter begins. Detroit's first possession ends with a shot clock violation, while a double-team on Howard leads Nelson open to knock down his third three-pointer of the game. Wallace hits a jumper for Detroit and it's a five-point game. Magic then turn over the ball as Turkoglu attempts to dribble into traffic. Battie picks up his second foul and sends Prince to the line. The former Kentucky product makes both free throws and Detroit's lead is back to seven, 52-45. Howard then drops another dunk for Orlando. He's got nine points on 4-of-8 shooting. But the Magic defense needs to tighten up as Webber hits a bucket at the other end. Turkoglu then drives across the lane and in for a layup, while Battie is once again called for a foul - again on Prince. He again hits both free throws and the Pistons have a 56-49 lead.

Turkoglu is starting to come alive. The leading scorer in the Magic's first two playoff games now has 10 points after dropping one in the lane. Billups then hits a shot for Detroit and Orlando turns the ball over at the other end. The Magic has seven turnovers and so do the Pistons. Nelson then hits a long two to keep the Magic within five, 58-53. But Billups uses the height difference between him and Nelson to his advantage and hits a turnaround over the Magic point guard. Battie then dunks one down, showing Orlando's effort to not let this game get away. But Webber backs Battie into the lane for a turnaround layup. Howard is then fouled by Hamilton and the two get into a small shoving match and the referees break things up. Hamilton is hit with a technical as timeout is called.

Nelson hits the free throw from the technical and Magic get the ball out of bounds. Howard works the ball inside, but lofts in to hard and it hits the back of the rim. The next possession doesn't go much better as the ball skims off Hill's leg and out of bounds. Howard then blocks Wallace's reverse layup attempt, but Webber gets loose inside for a dunk. Pistons lead by eight, 64-56. Webber then tips back a Hamilton missed jumper and Magic call timeout. They now trail by 10 points with 3:41 left in the third quarter.

After a 20 second timeout, it's Prince getting in a good position - putting back a Webber miss. But Howard grabs a rebound and dunks it back for Orlando. He now has 11 points and eight rebounds. Prince misses a jump shot and Orlando makes up some ground as Nelson hits another three. He now has a game-high 23 points as Magic deficit is only seven, 68-61. Timeout on the floor with 1:32 remaining in the third.

Billups called for offensive foul on Nelson in the final minute. Hill has his shot blocked and Pistons wind down the clock on the third quarter. This time, it's Prince hitting a shot before the buzzer.

End of Third Quarter: Detroit Pistons 71, Orlando Magic 61

SECOND QUARTER
That was the best first quarter start the Magic has had in this series. They've outscored the Pistons in both second quarters in the first two games, so let's see if they can keep in going. Dale Davis just got hit with a technical as he confronted Dooling after being fouled. Dooling missed the free throw, but Davis only hits 1-of-2 for his foul shots as the Pistons take their first lead of the game. Just before the shot clock buzzer went off, Turkoglu nails down a turnaround jumper and Orlando retakes the lead. But a turnover leads to a Prince layup at the other end. Howard then misses a jumper and Davis tips back a Flip Murray miss. Pistons have a three-point lead, 28-25, with 9:52 until halftime.

Wallace hits a jumper after the timeout as Detroit has its biggest lead of the evening at five, 30-25. McDyess then gets slapped with a technical foul - a lot of those being distributed in this first half. Turkoglu hits the free throw and pulls the Magic within four. Wallace then hits a three, but Magic respond with a bucket from Milicic. McDyess then gets his second basket of the night to keep it a seven-point Detroit advantage.

Trevor Ariza checks in for Orlando. Magic run a play for Dooling and the combo guard's floater falls, bringing Orlando back within five. Battie then feeds Milicic inside to make it a three-point game. Magic claw right back into the game as Milicic puts back an Arroyo miss and picks up a foul on Wallace - his third. Milicic will head to the free throw line with Magic trailing by one, 35-34, at the 6:13 mark.

Milicic misses the free throw and isn't happy that an inadvertent made sound effect was played before the shot hit the rim. Flip Murray is fouled and heads to the free throw line. He makes both and Pistons lead is three, 37-34. Nelson then hits his fourth basket of the first half to bring the Magic within one point. Nelson leads Orlando with nine points on 4-of-7 shooting. After missing out on several opportunities, the Pistons finally land a bucket as Prince drops one from the corner. Hamilton had previously missed a jumper and several put back attempts didn't fall. Magic call a 20 second timeout, trailing 40-36.

Howard makes his first trip to the free throw line on the evening and comfortably makes the first one. The second one clanks off the front of the iron and Detroit takes over possession. Hamilton is then fouled and he'll take a trip to the line. He misses the first, but makes the second. Nelson then hits a three and it's a one-point game as the final minute of the half hits Orlando. Prince hits a jumper right before the shot clock expired. But at the other end, Nelson lays down another three pointer and it's 43-42 Pistons. Fans on their feed in the final seconds, but Prince hits another jumper from the corner. Magic then turn over the ball on the inbounds play, Prince finds Billups and he hits a three-pointer in front of the Detroit bench. Pistons head into the locker room with a 48-42 lead.

Halftime: Detroit Pistons 48, Orlando Magic 42

FIRST QUARTER
Game Three is underway and the Magic has the opening tip. Ball goes inside to Howard, who draws the double team and misses a jumper. The crowd gets excited as Detroit's first possession results in a turnover on a travel call. Grant Hill then buries a jumper to put the first points on the board for Orlando. Pistons first shot doesn't fall and the next is another turnover. Jameer Nelson then sinks his first shot and it's a 4-0 Orlando advantage.

Hill has gone to the bench quickly at the 10:06 mark and Keyon Dooling has checked in. I'm not sure what happened, but the Magic was trying to get a fastbreak going and tried pushing the ball ahead to Hill. The Pistons got a hand on it and the ball went out of bounced and Hill kind of stumbled into a camerman. But it doesn't appear anything is wrong because he just checked back in at the 9:41 mark. To top that, Chauncey Billups - one of the top free throw shooters in the league just missed a pair of free throws. The Magic turn that into a big possession as a fastbreak leads to a Nelson layup and a 6-0 start. The Pistons woeful start continues as Rasheed Wallace misses a dunk. At the other end, Hill is fouled by Richard Hamilton and heads to the line. Hill's first playoff appearance in Orlando as a member of the Magic and he hits both free throws. It's an 8-0 Orlando lead.

Detroit finally gets on the board with a Chris Webber layup, but Nelson drives in for an easy two at the other end. Tayshaun Prince then misses a floater, but Wallace is there for the put back. Orlando has a 10-4 start at the 7:47 mark. Hedo Turkoglu is fouled and heads to the charity stripe for a pair. The first one bounces off the front of the rim for Hedo, but the second one kisses only net. Wallace then hits a three as the Pistons pull back within four, 11-7.

Big time Magic play as Hill gets Howard some space in the lane and the third-year phenom rewards him with a monster dunk. At the other end, Webber is fouled by Howard in the lane. The Pistons protest that Webber was going up, but they'll get the ball out of bounds. Billups buries a three and the Pistons have pulled within one possession, 13-10.

Wallace is slapped with a technical foul and Nelson hits the free throw. Wallace is not happy and the crowd is all over him as Flip Saunders pulls him out of the game to cool down. Antonio McDyess replaces him on the court and Pistons call Billups number and the point guard goes baseline for a layup. Timeout on the floor. Orlando holds a 14-12 lead with 5:34 remaining in the opening quarter.

Following the timeout, Hill knocks down a jumper and Turkoglu follows his tipping back his own missed bank shot off the glass. Hamilton then misses on a pair of shots in the lane and is now 0-of-3 from the field. Magic shooting 50 percent, while Pistons are at 33 percent. Darko Milicic checks in for the Magic. Howard is called for a technical as it looks like he was unable that no calls where being made about Detroit's smothering defense on him. They are making sure Howard doesn't get any looks inside. However, they can't deny the 21-year-old from grabbing a Nelson missed jumper and throwing it down. Magic take a seven-point lead, but a bad pass leaves Prince wide open for an uncontested layup. Timeout on the floor and Orlando has a 20-15 advantage at the 2:48 mark.

Milicic is fouled by Webber and heads to the line for two. The former Detroit first round pick misses both, but the Magic still hold a five-point lead. Magic really pushing the ball up the floor tonight, which should lead to more fastbreak points and more trips to the line. This time it's Hill earning another spot on the line, but he misses the first free throw. He hits the second as Orlando is 5-of-9 from the line in this opening quarter. Billups gets around Nelson and over the stretched out hands of Howard to hit a shot. He's 3-of-4 from the field and has seven points. Dooling checks back in to give Hill a breather. Magic take another Pistons turnover and turn it into a fastbreak with Turkoglu finding Howard barreling down the lane for another two-handed thunder slam. But Pistons trying to close quarter on a better note as baskets from McDyess and Hamilton keep it a two-point game. Pistons wind down the clock and Howard blocks Billups shot, but Turkoglu is called for a foul. Billups hits both free throws and the game is tied as the quarter ends.

End of First Quarter: Orlando Magic 23, Detroit Pistons 23

PREGAME
The city of Orlando has waited a long time to see an NBA Playoff game return to The City Beautiful and they are being rewarded tonight.

Granted the Magic has dug themselves an 0-2 deficit to the Detroit Pistons, the Amway Arena is already going absolutely nuts. This place is packed, everyone is wearing their Code Blue t-shirts, banging on their blue thunderstix and ready for Game Three of this series.

This one is important for the Magic. A loss tonight and Orlando will need nothing less than a miracle to win this series.

The visiting Pistons will be starting their veteran roster of Chris Webber, Rasheed Wallace, Tayshaun Prince, Richard Hamilton and Chauncey Billups. For your Orlando Magic, Hedo Turkoglu, Dwight Howard, Tony Battie, Grant Hill and Jameer Nelson will be alive on opening tip.

MAGIC INJURY REPORT
None

LAST GAME:
Game #2: Apr. 23 @ Detroit � Pistons 98, Magic 90: All five starters scored in double figures for Detroit, led by Richard Hamilton�s 22 points, as the Pistons defeated Orlando, 98-90, in Game #2 of their best-of-seven, first round playoff series at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Chauncey Billups recorded 21 points and eight assists, while Tayshaun Prince netted 18 points. Hedo Turkoglu led the Magic with 22 points, and Grant Hill tallied 21 points and eight rebounds. For the second straight game, the Pistons came out strong from the opening tap and led for most of the contest. Leading 47-44 at halftime, Detroit opened the second half with a 7-2 spurt and led by as many as 15 points during the fourth quarter. The back breaker came with 2:54 left in the contest, as Rasheed Wallace banked in a deep three-pointer as the shot clock expired to push the Pistons� lead back to double digits.

RECENT GAMES:
Game #1: Apr. 21 @ Detroit � Pistons 100, Magic 92: The backcourt of Chauncey Billups and Richard Hamilton each scored 22 points, as Detroit led by as many as 16 points, then held on for a 100-92 victory over Orlando in Game #1 of their best-of-seven, first round playoff series at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Billups also dished out a game-high 11 assists. All five starters scored in double figures for the Pistons. Rasheed Wallace had 16 points, while Tayshaun Prince and Chris Webber each added 12. Hedo Turkoglu led the Magic with 17 points, while Dwight Howard tallied 13 points, 19 rebounds and three blocks in his playoff debut. The Pistons led 28-16 after the first quarter and by as many as 16 points during the second half. With 53.8 seconds remaining in the game, a two-hand dunk by Howard trimmed the deficit to 93-90. However, Prince answered on the next possession with a dunk and the Pistons held on to take a 1-0 series edge.

TONIGHT�S OPPONENT:
Apr. 26 vs. Detroit, Game #3 - First Round: Orlando is 28-40 all-time vs. Detroit (19-15 at home, 9-25 on the road) during regular season action, including 0-4 this season (see recaps below)�The Magic went 1-2 last season against the Pistons...Orlando is 6-5 vs. Detroit in the playoffs (2-0 at home, 1-0 on the road, 1996 first round series; 2-1 at home, 1-3 on the road, 2003 first round series; 0-0 at home, 0-1 on the road, 2007 first round series)...Orlando has lost 14 of the last 17 regular season meetings with the Pistons overall...The Magic have lost seven of the last nine matchups at home, but won 19 of the last 28�Orlando has lost the last six at Detroit and 11 of the last 13 at The Palace�Grant Hill spent the first six seasons of his NBA career with Detroit�Carlos Arroyo spent parts of two seasons (2004-05, 2005-06) with the Pistons�Darko Milicic was selected second overall by Detroit in 2003 and spent the first two-plus seasons with the Pistons (2003-06)�Arroyo and Milicic were traded to Orlando on Feb. 15, 2006 in exchange for Kelvin Cato an a future first round pick�Assistant GM Dave Twardzik served as an assistant coach for the Pistons in 2000-01�Assistant Coach John Kuester served on the Pistons� bench in 2003-04 and helped them capture the 2003-04 NBA Championship.

Apr. 11 @ Detroit � Pistons 104, Magic 99: Chauncey Billups poured in a game-high 28 points, including a decisive three-pointer with 24.6 seconds remaining, as Detroit edged Orlando, 104-99, at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Richard Hamilton added 21 points for the Pistons, who clinched the Central Division and best record in the Eastern Conference. Grant Hill paced the Magic with 22 points, while Dwight Howard tallied 12 points and 16 rebounds, but was just 6-of-16 from the free throw line. Detroit led by as many as 18 points, but the Magic would not quit. They came all the way back to tie the score at 90 after a jumper by Hill with 1:35 remaining. However, they could not get over the hump, as Tayshaun Prince scored on a short hook shot, then Billups followed moments later with the huge trifecta.

Feb. 23 vs. Detroit � Pistons 94, Magic 89: Chauncey Billups poured in 28 points, while Richard Hamilton added 22, as Detroit rallied during the fourth quarter and defeated Orlando, 94-89, at sold-out Amway Arena. The Pistons outscored the Magic during the final stanza, 27-18, and held Orlando without a field goal in the quarter until the 1:21 mark. Rasheed Wallace added 14 points and 10 rebounds. Dwight Howard paced the Magic with 20 points and a game-high 13 rebounds, while Hedo Turkoglu netted 20. Orlando held Detroit to just 39.4 percent shooting from the floor, but could not overcome the decisive, final 12-minute span.

Feb. 21 @ Detroit � Pistons 110, Magic 88: Chris Webber and Richard Hamilton led a balanced attack with 18 points each, as Detroit routed Orlando, 110-88, at The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was the Magic�s sixth consecutive road loss. Chauncey Billups netted 17 points for the Pistons, while Antonio McDyess added 14. The Pistons shot 52 percent from the floor and dished out 27 assists. Dwight Howard led the way for the Magic with game-highs of 27 points and 15 rebounds. Detroit led 31-27 after the first quarter, but dominated for the rest of the contest. They outscored the Magic during the second quarter, 31-16 and led 62-43 at halftime. Detroit led by as many as 31 points during the second half.�Dec. 8 vs. Detroit � Pistons 87, Magic 83: Chauncey Billups poured in a game-high 31 points, as Detroit edged Orlando, 87-83, at a soldout Amway Arena. Richard Hamilton scored 14 points and had 10 rebounds for the Pistons. Dwight Howard, celebrating his 21st birthday, tallied team-highs of 25 points and 10 rebounds for the Magic. Orlando had its six-game home winning streak snapped. Orlando led 44-40 at halftime and 67-66 after three quarters. After the Pistons took a two-point lead, Howard converted a reverse layup with 2:23 left to tie the game at 82. Hamilton then hit back-to-back jump shots, the second with just 51.2 seconds remaining, to help Detroit escape with the win.

BEST ALL-TIME SCORING PERFORMANCE VS. PISTONS: 46 pts., Tracy McGrady (@ Orlando, 12-25-02); Shaquille O�Neal (@ Detroit, 2-16-93)
BEST ALL-TIME SCORING PERFORMANCE VS. MAGIC: 42 pts., Grant Hill (@ Orlando, 1-3-00)