DETROIT — After two lopsided losses in Charlotte and Memphis, the Pistons finally had a close game at the end.
After leading for most of the game, the Pistons put it away in the fourth quarter, pushing to a 97-92 victory over the Orlando Magic on Saturday night at Little Caesars Arena.
In a matchup of the teams with the two worst records in the league, the Pistons pulled out their third victory in the last five games, withstanding a late charge by the Magic in the final minutes.
Hamidou Diallo and Trey Lyles led the way with a fourth-quarter surge. Diallo finished with 17 points and six rebounds, Lyles had 16 points and 13 rebounds and Saddiq Bey added 16 points and six rebounds for the Pistons (8-30).
Diallo finished the game with a flurry, scoring on a tip-in with 1:50 left, giving the Pistons a three-point lead. Terence Ross (13 points) made a pair of free throws, but in the final minute, Cade Cunningham, who had 12 points and five assists, made his most important pass. Cunningham drove to the basket and found Diallo cutting to the rim for an uncontested dunk, pushing the lead back to three with 42.4 seconds remaining.
The Magic (7-33) had a chance to tie it in the final seconds, but Cole Anthony’s 3-point attempt was off the mark, and the Pistons added two free throws to put the victory away.
Lyles woke up a sleepy Pistons offense at the start of the fourth quarter, with eight straight points, including back-to-back dunks, a lay-in and a jumper, all in the first 2:28 of the period, for an 81-75 lead.
Anthony (19 points, eight rebounds and six assists) made three of four free throws in the next stretch to stay close, and Saben Lee answered with a 3-pointer. The Magic responded with seven straight points, including a 3-pointer and a lay-in by Gary Harris (28 points and six rebounds).
Terrence Ross had a 3-pointer and two free throws and helped Orlando get within 91-90 with 2:40 remaining, ahead of Diallo’s surge in the final minutes.
