Sometimes in sports, history has a way of repeating itself.
23 years ago in the 2003 NBA Playoffs, the 8-seeded Orlando Magic took a 3-1 lead in a best-of-seven series against the 1-seeded Detroit Pistons. The Pistons rallied to win three straight games to knock the Magic out.
Fast forward to 2026, the 8-seeded Magic took a 3-1 lead over the Pistons only to lose three straight games and see their season come to an end.
The Pistons rolled to a 116-94 win in Sunday's Game 7 to complete the comeback. Former Duke star Paolo Banchero did everything he could for the Magic, pouring in 38 points and knocking down 14-of-25 shots from the field. But he didn't get nearly enough help, and for the third straight season, Orlando's season came to an end in the first round of the playoffs.
Banchero couldn't hide his frustration in the postgame, and he didn't pull any punches on what it's going to take for the Magic to take the next step.
Paolo Banchero gives direct answers on what the Magic have to do to take the next step
"It's about winning habits. It's about creating a winning environment every single day," Banchero said. "We gotta be better. It doesn't start in April when the playoffs start. It starts in September, October. You build habits, you create an environment where losing is not acceptable. Losing in the first round is not acceptable. It's not good enough. That should be the attitude. It shouldn’t be comfortable in the building. It should be everybody on their Ps and Qs feeling pressure to be great. This result is not good enough. I think that’s the mindset that needs to be there from top to bottom.”
The Magic made a big move last offseason in trading four first-round picks to acquire Desmond Bane from the Memphis Grizzlies in hopes that he would help them take the next step into contention in the Eastern Conference. Orlando was a popular pick to finish in the top half of the conference in the preseason, but ultimately won just 45 games and ended up with the 8-seed.
That forced them to face the top-seeded Pistons in the opening round, and after taking the 3-1 series lead, the Magic couldn't hold on.
It's hard to blame Banchero. He averaged 26.8 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 6. 3 assists in the seven-game series against Detroit. He put the team on his back in Game 7, but didn't get enough help for Orlando to have a realistic shot of winning on the road.
He clearly has the right mindset of what it's going to take for the Magic to take the next step in the East. But it'll take the entire locker room, and the entire organization, buying into that for it to make a real difference.
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