The first round of the 2026 NBA playoffs has been just as exciting as advertised. From major upsets like the Minnesota Timberwolves going up 3-1 on the Denver Nuggets to ultra-competitive series between the New York Knicks and Atlanta Hawks, and the Toronto Raptors and Cleveland Cavaliers, this postseason has already had it all.
However, nothing has been quite as shocking as the Orlando Magic taking a 3-1 lead over the 60-win, No. 1-seeded Detroit Pistons. In less than two weeks, the entire script has flipped for the organization, but head coach Jamahl Mosley isn’t willing to take a breather just yet.
Orlando Magic Coach Jamahl Mosley Remains Focused Against Pistons
After the first Play-In game, in which they lost to a Philadelphia 76ers team without Joel Embiid, the NBA world was quick to write the Magic’s obituary. Despite trading for Desmond Bane in a blockbuster deal in the offseason, they hadn’t hit their full stride.
As a result, they fell to the No. 8 seed in the regular season before making it to the first round as a No. 8 seed, courtesy of the Play-In Tournament. At the time, it seemed like Mosley was on his last legs, and Orlando needed a roster overhaul.
However, in the span of four games, the conversation has completely changed. Thanks to a suffocating defense, they are up 3-1 on the Pistons and en route to pulling off one of the biggest upsets in recent memory.
Cade Cunningham, who was a fringe MVP candidate, has committed 24 turnovers over the last three games, while Detroit’s other All-Star, Jalen Duren, has been a shell of himself. Averaging 19.5 points and 10.5 rebounds during the regular season on 65% from the field, he has fallen to 9.8 points and 8.3 rebounds on 46.9% from the field.
As a result, Detroit has been no match for Orlando as a whole. Averaging 18 turnovers per game, the Pistons are shooting under 42% from the field and a disastrous 27.5% from 3-point range as a team.
That has given the Magic the edge, despite their own less-than-stellar shooting. However, Mosley is unwilling to bank on their success until the series has come to a close. Speaking to his locker room, he invoked Kobe Bryant to make his point.
“Y’all remember the Kobe Bryant one when he was up 2-0? What was the statement? Job’s not done. That’s the reality. We put ourselves in position to go take care of another one, but that’s all we’ve done. The job is not done, so we gotta go to Detroit, find a way to get it done there.”
The extremely viral clip is from the NBA Finals when Bryant was indeed up 2-0. However, rather than relish in victory, the five-time NBA champion kept the “Mamba Mentality” that made him such a legendary figure.
It also highlighted the difficulty of closing out a series despite an early advantage. As a result, it was clear that Mosley did not want his players to loosen their grip even a little. Nearly 23 years ago, the Magic faced a similar situation with Doc Rivers as their head coach.
However, that series ended in seven games, with the Pistons finding a way to come back from a 3-1 deficit. This time around, though, Orlando’s head coach is trying his level best to make sure that performance isn’t repeated.
