Schedule and 2003 Results
Regular Season Records: Detroit 50-32, Orlando 42-40
Game 1 on Sunday, 20 Apr: Orlando wins at Detroit, 99-pts-94
Game 2 on Wednesday, 23 Apr: Orlando loses at Detroit, 89-pts-77
Game 3 on Friday, 25 Apr: Detroit loses at Orlando, 89-pts-80
Game 4 on Sunday, 27 Apr: Detroit loses at Orlando, 100-pts-92
Game 5 on Wednesday, 30 Apr: Orlando loses at Detroit, 98-pts-67
Game 6 on Friday, 2 May: Detroit wins at Orlando, 103-pts-88
Game 7 on Sunday, 4 May: Orlando loses at Detroit, 108-pts-93

SERIES NOTES:

After Game 7: Completing the comeback from a 3-games-1 deficit, the Detroit Pistons hosted and defeated the Orlando Magic 108-pts-93 to win MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 series 888, 4-games-3. The Detroit Pistons now have a best-of-7 series record of 11-10, while that for the Orlando Magic falls to 3-3. The win order for series 888, LWLLWWW, is the fourth NBA best-of-7 series, the ninth NBA/NHL Preliminary-round best-of-7 series, and the sixteenth MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 series (all rounds) to follow this win order. The 2003 Detroit Pistons thus become the fourth Detroit team to come back from a 3-games-1 deficit to win a best-of-7 playoff series (their predecessors: the 1968 MLB Detroit Tigers in series 201; the 1987 NHL Detroit Red Wings in series 486; the 1992 Red Wings in series 605). The Pistons' comeback from a 3-games-1 deficit is the seventh in NBA history, the fifteenth in NBA/NHL Preliminary-round history, and the thirty-third in MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 history (all rounds); it is noteworthy that 15 of these 33 comebacks have occurred in Preliminary round playoff series. In Games 5-7 of series 888, Detroit defeated Orlando by a combined margin of 61 points. In the six previous best-of-7 series in which a team trailing 3-games-1 rebounded to win the series, only one (series 227, in which the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Phoenix Suns in the 1970 NBA Quarterfinals) featured a greater sum of victory margins in Games 5-7 (63 in series 227).

After Game 6: The Detroit Pistons defeated the Orlando Magic, 103-pts-88, to tie their best-of-7 series 888 at 3-games-all. The Game 7 record of the Detroit Pistons is 1-3; that for the Orlando Magic is 1-0. Only once has an NBA team opened a best-of-7 playoff series with a win order of WLWWLL and a site order of VVHHVH ... and won Game 7: In best-of-7 series 688, the Indiana Pacers defeated the New York Knickerbockers in their 1995 NBA Quarterfinals-round series with a Game 7 triumph in New York. The 1995 Indiana Pacers thus set a favorable precedent for the 2003 Orlando Magic.

After Game 5: With MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 series 888 back in the Detroit, the Detroit Pistons defeated the Orlando Magic 98-pts-67 to narrow the Magic's series 888 lead to 3-games-2. When leading a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 3-games-2, the Orlando Magic have a 2-0 series record; when trailing 3-games-2, the Detroit Pistons have an 0-6 series record. This series is perfectly aligned with best-of-7 series 890: Both the Orlando Magic and the Boston Celtics through five games each have a WLWWL @ VVHHV win order and site order.

After Game 4: The Orlando Magic, playing Game 4 at home, defeated the Detroit Pistons 100-pts-92 to take a 3-games-1 series 888 lead. When leading a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 3-games-1, the Orlando Magic have a 1-0 series record; when trailing 3-games-1, the Detroit Pistons have an 0-3 series record.

After Game 3: With series 888 having moved to Orlando for Games 3 and 4, the Orlando Magic gave the home crowd something to cheer about with an 89-pts-80 victory over the visiting Detroit Pistons. The Magic now lead MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 series 888, 2-games-1. When leading a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 2-games-1, the Orlando Magic have a 2-0 series record; when trailing 2-games-1, the Detroit Pistons have a 2-7 series record.

After Game 2: Rebounding from a Game 1 home-court loss, the Detroit Pistons tied series 888 at 1-game-all with an 89-pts-77 victory over the visiting Orlando Magic. When tied 1-game-all in a best-of-7 NBA playoff series, the Detroit Pistons have a series record of 6-5 and a Game 3 record of 5-6, while the Orlando Magic have a series record of 1-0 and a Game 3 record of 1-0 (Orlando had been either ahead 2-games-nil or behind 2-games-nil after four of its five previous best-of-7 NBA playoff series).

After Game 1: The Orlando Magic defeated the Detroit Pistons 99-pts-94 in Detroit, thereby taking a 1-game-nil series 888 lead on the road. When leading a best-of-7 NBA series 1-game-nil, the Orlando Magic have a 3-0 series record; when trailing a best-of-7 NBA series 1-game-nil, the Detroit Pistons have a 1-7 series record.

Pre-series assessment: In the 2002-03 regular season, the Detroit Pistons finished 8 games ahead of the Orlando Magic. From 1947 through 2002, when an NBA team led its best-of-7 playoff series opponent by 8 regular-season games, it has gone on to post a 14-4 best-of-7 series record (and a current ten-series winning streak) in that series against that opponent. MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 series 888 is the 21th best-of-7 playoff series for the Detroit Pistons and the sixth for the Orlando Magic. In best-of-7 playoff series, Detroit has a 10-10 series record and a 12-8 Game 1 record, while Orlando has a 3-2 series record and a 3-2 Game 1 record. Series 888 is the first best-of-7 meeting between Detroit and Orlando. The Detroit Pistons last played in a best-of-7 NBA playoff series in 2002; the Orlando Magic last did so in 1996.