The Sports Xchange
Dec 28, 2017
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Point guard Elfrid Payton had 19 points, eight rebounds and eight assists in leading the Orlando Magic to a 102-89 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Thursday night.
The Magic (12-24) snapped a nine-game losing streak. The Pistons (19-15) lost for just the second time in the past seven games.
Evan Fournier scored 17 points for the Magic. Bismack Biyombo, in his second start of the season, had a season-high 12 points and grabbed 13 rebounds. Aaron Gordon added 14 points.
Tobias Harris led the Pistons with 21 points. Andre Drummond had 17 points and a game-high 18 rebounds. Ish Smith, in his first start of the season, scored 18 points.
The Magic opened the fourth quarter with nine consecutive points -- 3-pointers by Marreese Speights, D.J. Augustin and Arron Afflalo -- for an 86-73 lead. The Pistons never got closer than 10 points in the final 11 minutes.
The Magic led 77-73 going into the fourth quarter despite a 12-0 run by the Pistons earlier in the third.
The Pistons scored 14 consecutive points -- including eight straight by Smith -- and led 50-46, their largest lead in the first half. They trailed by as many as 10.
The score was tied 50-50 at intermission.
Drummond led all players with 11 points and eight rebounds in the first half, when the Magic had eight players score between four and eight points.
The Magic led 46-36 when Gordon hit his second 3-pointer, but they lost the lead with eight turnovers in the second quarter.
NOTES: Pistons PG Ish Smith moved into the starting lineup in place of Reggie Jackson, who sprained his right ankle in Detroit's Tuesday night victory over Indiana. ... Detroit G Avery Bradley (groin strain) and PF Jon Leuer (sprained left ankle) also missed the Thursday game. ... The Magic were without starting C Nikola Vucevic for the second consecutive game. He broke a bone in his left hand and is expected to be out for at least six weeks. ... Magic F Aaron Gordon, the team's leading scorer, returned Thursday after missing the previous five games with a strained right calf. Rookie F Jonathan Isaac sat out for the third time in the past four games with a sore right ankle. ... The Magic came into the night riding their second nine-game losing streak of the season. ... The Pistons beat the Magic 114-110 in Detroit earlier this season when they tied a franchise record with 17 3-pointers.