ORLANDO, Fla. -- One last victory doesn't change another disappointing season, but it did provide a hint of hope for the Orlando Magic.

The young guns shined on the closing night of the NBA season.

Forward Aaron Gordon scored 32 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, and point guard Elfrid Payton provided the late-game heroics that carried the Magic to a 113-109 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night.

"We wanted to go out on a winning note. We talked about that before the game," Payton said. "It does give you some momentum into the summer. It shows what we can do when things are right. It doesn't change anything, but it gives you a better feeling about what you're doing."

Payton scored 21 points and hit three consecutive baskets in the final 1:12, turning a one-point deficit into a 111-106 lead that won the game.

The Magic (29-53) missed the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season. The Pistons (37-44) trailed through the first three quarters but made a late-game charge before bowing to Payton's heroics.

"It's been a tough season for us, a disappointing season," Magic coach Frank Vogel said. "But this was my hope how the game would go. Our young guys stepped up. Elfrid and Aaron were terrific down the stretch. I'm happy how the game went and pleased with the W."

Magic center Nikola Vucevic had 18 points and 11 rebounds. Evan Fournier and reserve Jodie Meeks each added 12 points. Mario Hezonja had eight points and 11 rebounds. The Magic made 13 of 25 shots from 3-point range, including two of three from Hezonja.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Ish Smith led the Pistons with 20 points. Reggie Bullock scored 17 points and hit five of his six 3-point attempts. Boban Marjanovic had 14 points and 11 rebounds. Andre Drummond had nine points and a game-high 14 rebounds. Henry Ellenson had 12 points, including nine in the fourth quarter rally.

Marjanovic completed back-to-back 3-point plays to give the Pistons a 106-105 lead with 1:23 remaining. Payton answered with three consecutive baskets that won the game.

The Pistons trailed by 21 points in the first quarter. They made only 5 of 12 free throws and 3 of 12 shots from 3-point range in the fourth quarter. They failed to contain Peyton at the end.

“That was our season, wasn't it?" Detroit coach Stan Van Gundy said. "Always down early. Our starters rarely got us off to a good start. We had some resilience to come back, but then we can't shoot. Things have got to change."

Detroit tied the score for the first time at 90 on a free throw by Ellenson early in the fourth quarter. Darrun Hilliard followed with two free throws for Detroit's first lead of the game at 92-90. Its biggest lead was 94-90 on a layup by Ellenson. Gordon, though, tied the score at 96.

"We were able to make plays down the stretch and get a lead," Ellenson said. "I thought it was a good job just to be able to come back from where we started and get back into the game. They just hit some big shots at the end."

Caldwell-Pope scored 13 points in the third quarter when the Pistons cut the big early deficit to just six points.

NOTES: Hanging over the season finale was the growing speculation that the Magic will fire general manager Rob Hennigan, who was hired in 2012 but has failed to produce a team that reached the playoffs. ... The Magic slipped from 35 victories to 29 this season. The Pistons also finished a disappointing season, going from 44 victories last season to 37 this season. Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy -- who also is team president -- said before the game that his coach didn't have a good year. "I don't think I had a good year (as coach), or did a good job with this team," Van Gundy said. "You can't look at the results and say I did a good job, although I still feel I'm the guy who can get it turned around." ... Magic C Nikola Vucevic found little joy earlier this week when he passed Shaquille O'Neal to become the second leading rebounder in franchise history, trailing only Dwight Howard. He did it against Chicago in a 47-point loss, the worst loss in franchise history. "I'm proud of it (passing O'Neal), but I couldn't really enjoy it on a night like that," he said.