DETROIT — The Detroit Pistons continued their streak of slow starts, but once again found their rhythm to make a double-digit comeback.
Led by Cade Cunningham’s 30-point, 10-assist performance and a 23-point night from veteran Tobias Harris, the Pistons earned a 135-116 victory over the Orlando Magic Wednesday night at Little Caesars Arena.
Five games into the season, Detroit (3-2) has still yet to lead after the first quarter. The team shot just 32% from the field in the opening period while the Magic (1-4) hit 60% of their attempts, at one point leading by as much as 10.
The Pistons stayed in it with a steady night from the foul line, hitting their first 15 attempts from the stripe, going into the second quarter.
It took a few small runs, quelled by continued strong shooting from the Magic beyond the arc, but the Pistons finally made their move. Harris — who had 13 points in the first half — made a pair of crucial finishes down low in the closing minutes of the half.
Ausar Thompson set up a game-tying three from Duncan Robinson before draining a corner three of his own in the final minute to give the Pistons their first lead they’d take into halftime, up 65-64.
The Pistons didn’t waste much time continuing their surge into the second half. A Wendell Carter Jr. three-pointer for Orlando set off a 14-1 run for Detroit, featuring back-to-back alley-oops from Jalen Duren and Harris to force an Orlando timeout.
It wasn’t a runaway right there and then as Paolo Banchero posted eight of his 24 points for the night in the third quarter and helped to keep the game within striking distance heading into the fourth quarter.
Some unfortunate calls went against the Pistons late in the third, but it brought some renewed energy to the team in the fourth as Robinson hit his fourth three-pointer of the night early on.
Cunningham posted eight more points in the opening two-and-a-half minutes of the quarter to put the Magic back for good.
The Pistons’ star guard is still finding his flow from deep — only going 1-for-7 on Wednesday — but he was a menace in the paint, muscling past the 6-foot-10 Banchero for makes and weaving his way into open looks near the basket.
Entering the night a 36% shooter from the field early this season, Cunningham went 12-of-24 for his season-high 30 points.
BOX SCORE
Up next: The Pistons head to Mexico City for a neutral-site matchup with the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday.
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