The Detroit Pistons’ first playoff opponent has been set.
They will host the Orlando Magic when the first round of the 2026 NBA playoffs tips off on Sunday, April 19 (6:30 p.m., NBC) The Magic defeated the Hornets in the Eastern Conference 8-seed game in the play-in tournament on Friday.
The top-seeded Pistons are marching into the playoffs with a 60-22 record – the third-best in franchise history – and winners of 15 of their final 19 regular-season games. They split the season series with the Magic, 2-2 (though one of the games came in NBA Cup play).
Detroit took games in October and March, and Orlando won in November (in the NBA Cup tournament) and April. Their most recent matchup came on April 6, as the Magic prevailed, 123-107, over a Pistons lineup that was missing Cade Cunningham and Tobias Harris. Desmond Bane, picked up in the offseason from Memphis, did most of the damage for the Magic, as he averaged 22.8 points, five rebounds and three assists. That included a 37-point outing on Nov. 28 in Detroit in which he shot 13-for-25 at Little Caesars Arena.
The Philadelphia 76ers clinched the No. 7 seed on Wednesday with a 109-97 victory at home over the Magic in the play-in tournament. The Sixers will play the 2-seed Boston Celtics in Game 1 on Sunday.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Pistons to face Orlando Magic in 2026 NBA playoffs first round
Reporting by Omari Sankofa II, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
