Magic Lead Pistons 3-1 as Knicks Score Big in Celtics Score Watch
The Orlando Magic hold a 3-1 series lead over the Detroit Pistons, and celtics score is not the only thing New York is tracking. With Game 5 set for Wednesday night in Detroit, the Magic can end the series before Thursday's tip-off in Atlanta.
That gives the Knicks a direct stake in the matchup. New York finished the regular season as the number one team in the Eastern Conference and enters the next 24 hours hoping the Pistons do not extend a series that could shape the playoff path around them.
Knicks Backing Orlando
The Knicks were described as big-time Magic fans heading into Game 5 because Detroit is the opponent they would rather avoid. New York beat the Pistons all three times they met in the regular season, by an average margin of victory of plus-28.0, and the two teams have already shown how uneven that matchup can be.
Jalen Brunson is part of a Knicks group watching from afar with a clear incentive. The difference is not abstract: if Orlando finishes the job, the Pistons are out and the bracket picture stays friendlier for New York heading deeper into the 2026 playoffs.
Detroit At Risk In Game 5
Wednesday night in Detroit is the pressure point. Orlando can oust the Pistons from the postseason as soon as Game 5, turning a 3-1 lead into a series win and removing one possible obstacle from the East.
The broader backdrop is simple. The Knicks and Celtics were widely believed to be the two biggest threats in the Eastern Conference, and a potential round two matchup between those clubs was described as something that should presumably help determine one side of the title-round picture. For New York, that is why the result in Detroit matters now, not later.
Thursday In Atlanta
The next 24 hours leave the Knicks waiting on the outcome before Thursday's tip-off in Atlanta. If Orlando closes out the series, New York keeps the more favorable postseason lane intact and avoids a rematch with a team that swept the Pistons in the regular season and already controlled that matchup from wire to wire.
That is the cleanest read on the standings race around this series: Orlando can finish Detroit, and the Knicks can keep watching the East narrow in a way that suits them.
