Pistons 102, Magic 86: Orlando Ends Summer League on Wrong Foot
ORLANDO - The Orlando Magic are heading back home after finishing its Summer League campaign, which ended in a 102-86 loss Saturday afternoon to the Detroit Pistons.
The Magic jumped out to an early lead at the end of the first quarter thanks to a 7-0 run to put them up seven heading into the second quarter. The lead grew to double digits in the second quarter, but the Pistons went into full gear and erased their deficit, trailing by just one point going into the locker rooms at halftime.
The Pistons pushed their way into the driver's seat in the third quarter as the Magic began to run out of steam, leading to a cruising victory in the fourth quarter.
The Magic was led by 2019 second-round pick Justin James, an NBA veteran with the Sacramento Kings who landed his first Summer League start this afternoon. James scored a team-high 18 points.
Point guard Tommy Kuhse also made an impact off the bench, scoring 13 points but struggling on an inefficient 4 of 11 from the field.
For the Pistons, Charlie Moore led all scorers with 21 points, while Jules Bernard scored 20 off the bench.
With the Magic's loss today, the team finished with three losses after winning its first two. While the win-loss record might not indicate a successful Summer League, the team saw a lot of upside from several developmental projects, including No. 1 overall pick Paolo Banchero and second-round pick Caleb Houstan.
The Magic will now take what it has built from Las Vegas and apply it when the team gets back together for training camp in September.
