What channel is Detroit Pistons game today vs. Orlando Magic? Time, TV, stream
As if losing 18 straight wasn’t enough, the Detroit Pistons will be confronted tonight with an actual functioning rebuild — Wait, that’s a thing? Teams don’t just get stuck losing 60 games a season in perpetuity? — as they face the 14-7 Orlando Magic in their final NBA In-Season Tournament game. (Note: Not “a restore,” as general manager Troy Weaver has established on his tombstone by now.)
The Magic are just two seasons removed from a 22-60 record — one game worse than the Pistons — a next-to-last finish and a win in the 2022 NBA draft lottery. That landed Orlando No. 1 overall pick Paolo Banchero, who delivered 20 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game en route to winning the Rookie of the Year Award. He has been just as good this year, at 20.6/6.8/4.7 while shooting 49.2% from the field and 42.4% on 3-pointers.
The former Duke star is helped out by a roster that wouldn’t look out of place on the sidelines at the Crisler Center on a January night, with 2020 lottery pick (and former Wolverine) Franz Wagner leading a squad of five former U-M or MSU players. Wagner’s arguably the best, as he’s averaging 20.4 points, 5.8 boards and 3.8 assists (as well as a few brawls started), though not far behind him is older brother Mortiz, at 12.9 points and 4.3 boards in just 19.6 minutes a game. Former Spartan Gary Harris is the old man of the group, averaging 7.9 points a game at age 29, and former Wolverines Caleb Houstan and Jett Howard have seen limited action this season, thanks to the Magic’s unexpected contention.
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The Pistons, meanwhile … sigh. Cade Cunningham is averaging 22 points and 7.4 assists, which would be great if he wasn’t also assisting the other team so frequently — he entered Thursday No. 1 in the league in turnovers (92). At least Bojan Bogdanovic is back; in his two games this season, he’s averaging 22 points, 4.5 assists and 3 rebounds a game, though he hasn’t quite found his 3-point stroke (38.9%).
A loss tonight would be, of course, 19 straight: That would be the longest single-season skid since the Houston Rockets lost 20 straight in 2021, and just the seventh 19-game losing streak in the NBA this century (and 16th of all-time). After tonight, the Pistons get the weekend off — to celebrate the end of the skid, or to mull the possibility of 20 STRAIGHT — before hosting the Indiana Pacers at 7 p.m. Monday. The Magic, meanwhile, also have a date with a Central Division squad on Monday — they’ll host the Cleveland Cavaliers.
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Here's what you need to know about the Pistons vs. Magic game, TV and streaming info, the injury report and projected starting lineups.
Detroit Pistons vs. Orlando Magic start time today
Matchup: Pistons (2-19) vs. Magic (14-7).
Date: Friday, Dec. 8.
Time: 7 p.m. ET.
Where: Amway Center in Orlando, Florida.
Betting line: TBA (how to bet and get sign up bonuses).
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Detroit Pistons vs. Orlando Magic TV channel today
TV: Bally Sports Detroit.
Radio: WXYT-FM (97.1) (Pistons radio affiliates).
Streaming: Fubo (free trial).
If you don't have Bally Sports Detroit, you can sign up for Fubo with a free trial to watch the Pistons all season long.
Detroit Pistons injury report vs. Orlando Magic
Forward Bojan Bogdanovic (right calf strain) is back! Meanwhile, guards Monte Morris (right quad strain) and Joe Harris (right shoulder sprain) remain out. Morris, yet to make his Pistons debut, will be out through January.
The Magic, of course, are not without their injuries, as you might expect from a team paying Markelle Fultz. The 2017 No. 1 pick has been out since No. 9 with a bum knee — at least it’s not his shoulder — and doesn’t have a timetable for a return. In more surprising news, 2022 No. 5 overall pick Jalen Suggs departed Wednesday’s game early with an ugly looking ankle injury, which doesn’t bode well for his playing tonight.
Pistons vs. Magic projected starting lineups
Pistons: G Cade Cunningham, G Killian Hayes, F Bojan Bogdanovic, PF Isaiah Stewart, C Jalen Duren.
Magic: G Anthony Black, G Gary Harris, SF Franz Wagner, PF Paolo Banchero, C Gogo Bitadze.
Lineups subject to change.
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Pistons uniform, jersey vs. Knicks
The Pistons will sport their all-white Association Edition uniform; the Magic are wearing their armor-inspired (no, we're not making that up) City Edition uniform.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Pistons game today vs. Orlando Magic? Time, TV, stream
