Duncan Robinson’s first playoff game in a Pistons uniform went off script fast. Detroit lost to the Orlando Magic 112-101 in Game 1, and Robinson spent much of the night trying to recover from foul trouble that altered the shape of the matchup.
Robinson scored nine points and added four assists, making 3-of-6 shots from three-point range, but he was under pressure from the opening tip. Tasked with guarding Jalen Suggs to start the game, he picked up two fouls in the first five minutes as Orlando opened a fast 18-8 edge. Suggs had eight points and two assists on 3-of-5 shooting during that stretch, and Robinson’s early mistakes forced Detroit into an immediate hole.
The rough start carried into the second quarter. Robinson picked up another foul three minutes in and spent the rest of the first half on the bench, unable to settle into the game before halftime. By the time he returned to the floor, the Pistons were already chasing the result in a playoff opener they could not afford to lose.
That matters because Robinson was acquired by Detroit last offseason to give the team more shooting, and he remains its best shooter and one of the few off-ball threats defenses have to account for. But his defensive struggles have followed him for most of his career, and Game 1 put that weakness on display at the worst possible time. Detroit needs him on the floor to stretch Orlando, but it also has to keep him from becoming a target on the other end.
Robinson finished minus-14 in 26 minutes, a number that captures how quickly the game moved away from Detroit once foul trouble took away one of its most important spacing options. The Pistons now have to find a better answer before Game 2, because the margin for protecting Robinson without sacrificing offense looked thin from the start.