DETROIT — It was a familiar finish for the Pistons, with what has become a familiar result.
Play hard, stay within a reasonable distance and fight for a win down the stretch.
That script almost had a rewrite in the final minutes, but the Orlando Magic made some big shots in clutch time and secured a 119-112 victory on Monday night at Little Caesars Arena.
It’s the third straight loss and sixth in the last seven games for the Pistons (19-46), who were without seven of their key players because of injuries and rest. The Magic also were shorthanded, with eight players out.
The Pistons have the second-worst record in the league, and with seven games left, the Magic (21-45) are two games better. The teams with the three worst records after the regular season will have the best odds of getting the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft lottery.
Saddiq Bey had 26 points and nine rebounds, Frank Jackson 19 points and Hamidou Diallo 16 points and seven rebounds. Tyler Cook added 13 points and Isaiah Stewart 10 points and eight rebounds.
The Pistons looked to be fading in the fourth quarter, with a 105-91 deficit at the 6:21 mark, but Stewart hit a pair of free throws and Diallo converted a three-point play. After a hook by Mo Bamba (22 points and 15 rebounds), the Pistons got eight straight points from Bey, with a pair of 3-pointers and a steal and dunk that closed the margin to 107-104 with 3:25 left.
The Magic regained control, after Chasson Randle was fouled on a 3-pointer and made two. Diallo hit a fadeaway but Ignas Brazdeikis answered with a 3-pointer to make it a six-point lead. The Pistons countered with a putback by Stewart, but Bamba, who was 9-of-15 from the field, scored on a jumper to get it back to six.
