3 Magic Players Who Fueled the Victory vs. Pistons

The Orlando Magic nearly coughed up a 26-point lead

Detroit Pistons forward Paul Reed drives to the basket against Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero. | Mike Watters-Imagn Images

ORLANDO, Fla. — The Orlando Magic are keeping their flame ignited in the Eastern Conference playoff race with a 123-107 win against the first-place Detroit Pistons inside the Kia Center.

The Magic found themselves in control of things for most of the game, building a 26-point lead throughout the evening. However, they couldn't fully put the Pistons away. Detroit rallied from its deficit and made it a four-point game with 4:07 left to play, but Orlando put its finishing touches on the win.

The Magic went on a 12-0 run that put them ahead by 16 points once again, closing out the team's third straight victory and getting the home crowd hyped. Here are three players that stood out for the Magic in the win:

Paolo Banchero

Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero handles the ball in front of Detroit Pistons forward Paul Reed. | Mike Watters-Imagn Images

Banchero dropped a team-high 31 points on 10 of 16 shooting. He made all 10 of his free throw attempts as well. When Banchero is efficient, the Magic offense is so much different and the team needs him to continue playing at a high level in order to keep things cooking in the playoffs, should the Magic reach them, likely after needing to escape the Play-in Tournament.

The Magic are 8-6 when Banchero scores 30 or more points.

Desmond Bane

Detroit Pistons guard Ausar Thompson defends Orlando Magic guard Desmond Bane. | Mike Watters-Imagn Images

Bane also had a strong offensive game with 25 points, making 9 of 17 shots from the field. Four of those makes were from downtown, giving the team some offense to work with.

The Magic are 16-5 when Bane has 25 or more points on the scoreboard.

Jalen Suggs

Orlando Magic guard Jalen Suggs prepares to shoot the ball during a pre-game warm up. | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Suggs may not have contributed as much in the scoring department, but his 12 points and 12 assists gave him a double-double. His facilitating allowed him to set his teammates up for success, which is crucial for Orlando's offense.

The Magic are 10-2 this season when Suggs notches eight or more assists.

What's Next For Magic?

The Magic are still not completely out of the woods. They find themselves in a tie with the Charlotte Hornets for the No. 8 seed in the East and sit just 0.5 game back of the Toronto Raptors, who have two difficult games coming up against the Miami Heat. The Raptors have beaten the Heat both times this season, but the Heat are fighting for positioning themselves, trying to get out of the 10th spot.

The Magic have to keep their winning ways going with the Minnesota Timberwolves coming to town for their final home game of the regular season. Tipoff is scheduled for Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET inside the Kia Center. Fans can watch the game on FanDuel Sports Network or stream it on NBA League Pass.