The Detroit Pistons have won three games on the trot and locked up the No. 1 seed as they prepare to take on the Orlando Magic on Monday. The Pistons have been an offensive engine in the absence of their best player Cade Cunningham and come into this one off a 116-93 win over the Philadelphia 76ers.
Meanwhile, the Magic come into this game 42-36 and are currently No. 9 in the Eastern Conference. They have won two games on the trot and look to be placed much better healthwise.
Cade Cunningham is likely to miss his 11th straight game due to a collapsed lung, but he received a huge upgrade on the injury report before Monday's game.
Outside of Cunningham, Isaiah Stewart is a confirmed out due to a left calf strain while the likes of Duncan Robinson and Tobias Harris are listed as questionable for this game.
Cade Cunningham’s injury status vs. Magic
After initially being listed as out with his collapsed lung, Cunningham has been upgraded to doubtful for Monday's game, per ClutchPoints NBA insider Brett Siegel. Even if he ends up missing this one, the upgrade is still a great sign for his availability moving forward as the playoffs approach.
The Pistons have already landed the No. 1 seed and are likely to take a cautious approach with Cunningham, even if it comes at the expense of individual awards eligibility. However, Detroit has still managed to be competitive without their main man.
Since Cunningham went down on March 17, the Pistons have gone 9-2. They enter this game at 57-21, leading the East while averaging 117.8 points over their last 10 games and holding opponents to just 106.2.
Jalen Duren has stepped into a leading role, putting up 23 points per game on an elite 66.7% shooting. The Pistons have seen several stars stepping up offensively, with as many as seven players reaching double figures in their most recent win.
Tobias Harris, despite dealing with a knee contusion, dropped 19 points in that game, while Duncan Robinson added 11 points in 23 minutes, which suggests the two are likely to play a part against Orlando. For the Magic, the stakes are much higher.
They are pushing to escape the play-in places and are looking for their third straight win. Paolo Banchero and Desmond Bane continue to lead the charge, with Banchero averaging over 21 points and anchoring a team that has scored 114.6 points per game over its last 10 contests.
Pistons injury report
Cade Cunningham — Doubtful (Collapsed lung)
Isaiah Stewart — Out (Calf)
Tobias Harris — Questionable (Left knee; contusion)
Duncan Robinson — Questionable (Hip; strain)
Bobi Klintman — Out
Magic injury report
Jett Howard — Day-to-day (Ankle)
Anthony Black — Out (Abdomen)
Jonathan Isaac — Out (Knee)
