In a game that mattered far more for one side than the other, the Orlando Magic took care of business on their home floor, dispatching a severely depleted Detroit Pistons squad 123-107 on Monday night. With playoff seeding on the line, Paolo Banchero led the charge with a game-high 31 points, while Desmond Bane chipped in 25 to keep Orlando's hopes of avoiding the Play-In Tournament alive.

The Magic's backcourt engine, Jalen Suggs, stuffed the stat sheet with a well-rounded performance of 12 points, 12 assists, six rebounds, and three steals, helping his team secure its fourth win in the last five outings.

Facing a Pistons team that had already clinched the East's top seed and was resting nearly its entire rotation, the Magic could not afford a letdown. Detroit was without eight players, including All-Star Cade Cunningham, who missed his 11th consecutive game with a collapsed lung, along with key contributors Tobias Harris, Duncan Robinson, and Caris LeVert.

Despite the absent star power, the Pistons' young guns fought valiantly. Jalen Duren and Daniss Jenkins shouldered the scoring load with 18 points apiece, while Kevin Huerter and Javonte Green each added 17. Their efforts were hampered, however, by a sloppy 21 turnovers.

Orlando played without forward Franz Wagner, who was held out for injury management on his ankle, but welcomed back Anthony Black from a 15-game absence. Black made an immediate impact, pouring in 14 points in just 15 minutes off the bench.

The game turned early in the second quarter when Desmond Bane drilled a three-pointer to put the Magic up 33-31. They would never relinquish that lead. Bane hit another triple just 16 seconds later to ignite the home crowd and solidify Orlando's momentum.

Banchero took over to blow the game open late in the third, scoring twice during a devastating 12-0 run that ballooned the Magic advantage to a commanding 26 points. But the Pistons, to their credit, refused to roll over. A furious rally led by Green and Huerter culminated in a Jenkins three that slashed the deficit to just three points with 4:07 remaining, threatening a stunning comeback.

The Magic, however, weathered the storm and executed down the stretch to pull away for the decisive victory, a necessary step as they jockey for position in the packed middle of the Eastern Conference standings with just three games remaining in the regular season.