Pistons’ Cade Cunningham on Game 1 loss: ‘It’s a long series’

This wasn’t the start the Pistons had in mind. Not even close.

Detroit entered the playoffs as the No. 1 seed in the East, talking big picture, talking championship. Then came a 112-101 Game 1 home loss to the Magic.

Flat. Chasing. Never in control.

“We’re sick about losing this one,” Cade Cunningham told reporters after dropping 39 points. “It’s a long series.”

He did his part. Didn’t get much help. That’s the story.

The Pistons never led. Not once. They looked out of sync early, maybe a byproduct of the layoff, maybe something else.

“We didn’t come out with the right energy,” Cunningham said.

That showed, and it didn’t get much better.

“We were chasing them all night,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “We made some runs to get ourselves back in the ballgame.”

Briefly. Every time the Pistons made a push, Orlando had an answer. Midway through the third, Cunningham tied it with a three. Felt like a moment.

It wasn’t. The Magic responded with a 14-3 run and that was that.

“They’ve been off and we’ve found a little bit of a rhythm,” Orlando coach Jamahl Mosley said. “That always plays a part in it.”

Detroit shot 40 percent. Just 31 made baskets. Only one other player in double figures — Tobias Harris with 17, and he needed 15 shots to get there.

Jalen Duren? Eight points. Four shots.

“They packed the paint,” Bickerstaff said. “They’re going to put a bunch of bodies in the paint…”

Translation? Adjust, or else. Because if this version shows up again, that No. 1 seed won’t mean much.