When will the NBA release the 2026 Detroit Pistons playoff schedule for their first-round series?
We know when the Pistons will start their playoff run.
The 1-seed Pistons (60-22) will play Game 1 next Sunday, April 19, the second day of the playoffs, with the NBA announcing it will start at 6:30 p.m. ET at Little Caesars Arena on the TV channel NBC. Their opponent is to be determined.
The Pistons will host Game 2 on either Tuesday, April 21 or Wednesday, April 22, then play two road games by the end of the week in the best-of-seven series.
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The NBA for the past few years has released the entire playoff schedule for all eight first-round series overnight after Tuesday’s play-in tournament games − the first night of three play-in dates as teams battle for the Nos. 7 and 8 seeds in each conference.
The Pistons defeated the Indiana Pacers on Sunday night, the final day of the NBA regular season.
Here’s a look at what we know about the Pistons playoff series schedule so far and the NBA playoff bracket for 2026:
Who will Pistons play in playoffs first round?
The Pistons will play the No. 8 seed, which will be decided in the NBA Play-In Tournament this coming week. They could play one of four teams: Miami Heat, Charlotte Hornets, Orlando Magic or Philadelphia 76ers.
Only two NBA teams with at least 60 wins − since the league went to an 82-game schedule in 1967-68 − have lost a seven-game series in the first round: 2007 Dallas Mavericks (Golden State Warriors) and 2011 San Antonio Spurs (Memphis Grizzlies).
Meanwhile, 36 of 78 teams to win 60-plus games made the NBA Finals.
Pistons playoff schedule for first round series
Best-of-seven; dates, times, TV channel to be announced.
Watch NBA playoffs on Peacock
NBA Play-In Tournament bracket 2026
Here’s how the play-in tournament matchups look.
Eastern Conference
[ Ranking Pistons’ most dangerous potential first-round opponents ]
Western Conference
NBA playoffs bracket 2026
Here are the playoff matchups for the first round:
Eastern Conference bracket
Western Conference bracket
[ Get ready for the NBA playoffs with the best Pistons coverage at freep.com/sports/pistons. ]
How to watch NBA playoffs 2026
Fubo offers a free trial for new subscribers and has packages carrying ESPN, ABC, NBC and NBA TV games. You can also stream NBC games on Peacock.
Amazon Prime Video will carry the six play-in tournament games.
Will any Pistons games be on FanDuel Sports Network Detroit?
No. Pistons games will not be broadcast on FanDuel Sports Network Detroit, with George Blaha and Greg Kelser on the telecast. All NBA playoff teams are carried on national broadcast partners.
The Pistons’ TV situation is unclear for the 2026-27 season, with NBA teams ending their deals with FanDuel’s parent company, which went bankrupt, after this season.
[ MUST WATCH: See the most recent episode of our podcast, “The Pistons Pulse,” streamed live weekly on the Detroit Free Press YouTube channel or listen wherever you get podcasts. ]
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Pistons playoff schedule: Game 1 start time announced for first round
Reporting by Marlowe Alter, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
