Washington (United States) (AFP) - The Orlando Magic fired coach Jamahl Mosley on Monday just hours after their shocking first-round elimination of the NBA playoffs at the hands of the Detroit Pistons.
First modification: 05/04/2026 - 20:43 Last modification: 05/05/2026 - 00:47
Detroit, which won the series 4-3 on aggregate, in turn made the opposite decision to the Magic by extending the contract of its coach, J.B. Smith, this Monday. Bickerstaff.
The departure of Mosley, who had been in charge of Orlando for five years, was precipitated after the 116-94 defeat in the seventh and final game of the tie on Sunday.
Orlando extended its curse in the playoffs, in which it has not passed a round since 2010, after having had Detroit, the first seed in the Eastern Conference, completely on the ropes.
The Magic took a 3-1 lead in the series and, in Game 6 on Friday, blew a 24-point lead with a historic collapse in the second half, in which they only scored 19 points.
After their elimination on the Detroit court, the Magic announced Mosley's departure when they had barely returned to Florida.
"We appreciate his leadership and the positive contributions he made as head coach. Although this was a difficult decision, we believe it is time for a new voice and a fresh perspective," said President of Operations Jeff Weltman.
Mosley, 47, led the longest tenure of any Magic coach since Stan Van Gundy, who led Orlando to the 2009 NBA Finals, where they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers.
With Mosley on the bench, the Magic went 189-221, including a 45-37 record last season, with first-round losses in the last three playoffs.
The Pistons, for their part, announced the extension of the contract of their coach, J.B. Bickerstaff, without offering details of the commitment.
Bickerstaff, a leading candidate for the Coach of the Year award, has guided Detroit to first place in the East in his second season at the helm and its first playoff series victory since 2008.
The Pistons will face the Cleveland Cavaliers in the East semifinals starting Tuesday.
© 2026 AFP
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