In his return to Orlando, the team he coached for five seasons and took to the 2009 NBA Finals, Stan Van Gundy found a half-hearted welcome and a 99-87 loss. The young Magic team, led by big forward Tobias Harris, was relentless on the offensive boards and went up big in the first half.
The Magic were up 19 in the second quarter but after a 15-point burst from D.J. Augustin, and a 10-0 run for Detroit, they found themselves with a slim 54-49 lead going into halftime. Augustin, who filled in for Derrick Rose in Chicago last season, was one of Van Gundy's biggest signings in the off-season. He provided a great offensive spark to rally the Pistons in the second quarter. He hit 3-of-5 from downtown and was gelling with his teammates, highlighted by a nice give and go with big man Greg Monroe that got him an easy reverse lay-up.
Forward Josh Smith, who put in 14 points and 10 rebounds in Detroit's previous game against the Hornets, struggled tonight, as he only had three points on 1-for-7 shooting.
The Magic were led by Tobias Harris's 22 points and nine boards. They also got a nice boost from former Piston Ben Gordon, who added 10 points of his own, including an and-one layup in the first half.
The Magic guards struggled without Victor Oladipo, who was being rested in this game. The young backcourt of Evan Fournier and Elfrid Payton combined for just 13 points off of 6-17 shooting, but did team up for six assists and three steals. Orlando's frontcourt of the aforementioned Harris, as well as Kyle O'Quinn and Nikola Vucevic, played quite well. The latter two each grabbed seven rebounds, while O’Quinn also added five assists and two steals.
The Pistons are now 3-2 in the preseason after this defeat. They will take on the Atlanta Hawks in their next game on Sunday, October 19. The Orlando Magic will clash against the Philadelphia 76ers tomorrow, October 18.