ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Paolo Banchero scored 31 points, Desmond Bane added 25 and the Orlando Magic beat the Detroit Pistons 123-107 on Monday night.
Jalen Suggs had 12 points, 12 assists, six rebounds and three steals for the Magic, who won for the fourth time in five games.
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Detroit Pistons guard Daniss Jenkins, center, goes to the basket between Orlando Magic center Wendell Carter Jr., left, and forward Tristan da Silva during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, April 6, 2026, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Detroit Pistons guard Marcus Sasser, center, passes the ball as he gets between Orlando Magic guard Desmond Bane (3) and forward Jamal Cain during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, April 6, 2026, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Detroit Pistons forward Paul Reed (7) looks to pass the ball as he gets caught between Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (5) and center Wendell Carter Jr. (34) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, April 6, 2026, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Detroit Pistons guard Marcus Sasser, center, loses control of the ball as he is defended by Orlando Magic forward Moritz Wagner (21) and guard Jevon Carter (2) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, April 6, 2026, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero, right, makes a move to get around Detroit Pistons guard Ausar Thompson during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, April 6, 2026, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Jalen Duren and Daniss Jenkins scored 18 points apiece for Detroit. Kevin Huerter and Javonte Green added 17 each for the Pistons, who had 21 turnovers.
Having clinched the top playoff spot in the Eastern Conference on Saturday, the Pistons were without eight players, including Tobias Harris, Duncan Robinson, Caris LeVert and All-Star Cade Cunningham, who missed his 11th straight game with a collapsed lung.
The Magic, playing for position in the packed middle of the Eastern Conference standings, kept alive their chances of finishing as high as sixth. With three games remaining in the regular season, Orlando could also finish as low as 10th.
Orlando played without forward Franz Wagner, whose high ankle sprain was subject to “injury management” after his three-game return from a long absence. Anthony Black, who had missed 15 games with an abdominal strain, returned and scored 14 points in 15 minutes for the Magic.
The first of two Bane 3-pointers in a span of 16 seconds put the Magic up 33-31 early in the second quarter, and they led the rest of the game.
Banchero scored twice during a 12-0 run that stretched Orlando's lead to 26 points late in the third quarter.
Green and Huerter led a late rally by the Pistons, and a 3-pointer by Jenkins cut the margin to three points with 4:07 left before the Magic pulled away.
Pistons: Host Milwaukee on Wednesday.
Magic: Host Minnesota on Wednesday.
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba
Detroit Pistons guard Daniss Jenkins, center, goes to the basket between Orlando Magic center Wendell Carter Jr., left, and forward Tristan da Silva during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, April 6, 2026, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Detroit Pistons guard Marcus Sasser, center, passes the ball as he gets between Orlando Magic guard Desmond Bane (3) and forward Jamal Cain during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, April 6, 2026, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Detroit Pistons forward Paul Reed (7) looks to pass the ball as he gets caught between Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (5) and center Wendell Carter Jr. (34) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, April 6, 2026, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Detroit Pistons guard Marcus Sasser, center, loses control of the ball as he is defended by Orlando Magic forward Moritz Wagner (21) and guard Jevon Carter (2) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, April 6, 2026, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero, right, makes a move to get around Detroit Pistons guard Ausar Thompson during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, April 6, 2026, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
CLEVELAND (AP) — José Ramírez entered exclusive company Monday night.
The Guardians' all-star third baseman played in his 1,620th game, becoming Cleveland's franchise leader in games played.
Ramírez not only surpassed Terry Turner's mark, which stood more than 108 years, he became the only active player to lead his team in games played.
“Obviously it's something fun to accomplish, but that’s not my ultimate goal with the team,” Ramírez said after going 0 for 2 with two walks in a 4-2 loss to the Kansas City Royals.
Before the sixth inning, when the game became official, Ramírez was saluted by the crowd at Progressive Field. He received the third-base bag from longtime Cleveland first-base coach Sandy Alomar Jr.
Out of the 31 franchise leaders in games played, 21 are in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Pittsburgh's Roberto Clemente and Honus Wagner — both Hall of Famers — are tied at 2.433 games played.
“Those mean a lot because those are the two main things that I’m focused on — work to get to the Hall of Fame and also win a World Series,” Ramírez said through interpreter Agustin Rivero.
Royals manager Matt Quatraro — Cleveland's assistant hitting coach from 2014 through '17 — has always appreciated Ramírez’s consistent approach and routine to the game.
“He physically matured, that’s the one thing," Quatraro said before the game. "In ’15 when he got sent down, he was swinging at everything. When he came back up, he was taking pitches and taking walks. And the next year, he started hitting for power.”
Ramírez made his major league debut on Sept. 1, 2013, as a pinch runner for Carlos Santana during the ninth inning of Cleveland’s game at Detroit. He has been part of six AL Central Division titles, including the 2016 World Series squad, which lost in seven games to the Chicago Cubs.
He is the only player in Cleveland’s 125-year franchise history to have at least 250 home runs and 250 stolen bases. He currently has 286 home runs and 289 stolen bases.
Ramírez leads the franchise in extra-base hits (729) and has 27 multihomer games. He ranks second in home runs, stolen bases, total bases (3,018), and RBIs (954), third in doubles (400) and seventh in hits (1,674).
Turner spent 15 of his 17 big league seasons with Cleveland from 1904 through ’18 and played in 1,619 games.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Fans cheer as Cleveland Guardians third baseman José Ramírez runs out to the field in the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals in Cleveland, Monday, April 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Cleveland Guardians third baseman José Ramírez holds the base after being presented with it after the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals to commemorate his record 1,620 games as a Cleveland Indian/Cleveland Guardian in Cleveland, Monday, April 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)