By the time the Orlando Magic put a complete game together in the postseason, the Detroit Pistons might not be around to see it.
The Magic pieced together a 92-77 victory Sunday in Orlando and took a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five Eastern Conference playoff series.
Shaquille O’Neal scored a game-high 29 points as all five Magic starters reached double figures for the second game in a row.
“We still haven’t played a complete game yet,” said Anfernee Hardaway, who had 15 points. “Once we do that, it’s going to be scary.”
Only five NBA teams have come back from 2-0 deficits and won a best-of-five series. Orlando has a chance to end the series in Game 3 Tuesday night in Auburn Hills, Mich.
“This was an important win for us, to leave here with both wins and go up to Detroit and hopefully close out the series,” Magic coach Brian Hill said.
Guards Hardaway and Nick Anderson scored 15 points each, and forwards Horace Grant and Dennis Scott each added 14 points for the Magic.
Orlando also used a tenacious defense that limited Detroit to 42 percent shooting and only nine assists. The highest-scoring quarter for the Pistons was 20 points, in the fourth.
Allan Houston led the Pistons with 23 points but made 8 of 20 from the field. Grant Hill scored 19 points on 8-of-18 shooting. Joe Dumars added 12 points but hit only one of his last seven shots.
