The Detroit Pistons wrapped up the regular season with every marker of success checked – the best overall record in the Eastern Conference, 60 wins and a healthy roster. Now, they await their first playoff opponent.
The first round of the postseason begins Sunday, April 19, for the Pistons at 6:30 p.m. They will face the East winner of Friday’s game in the NBA Play-In Tournament, which tips off Tuesday. The No. 9 seed Charlotte Hornets and host the No. 10 seed Miami Heat at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, and the No. 7 seed Philadelphia 76ers will host the No. 8 seed Orlando Magic at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.
The winner of the No. 7 vs. No. 8 game will clinch the No. 7 seed and visit the 2-seed Boston Celtics on Sunday in Game 1.
The Pistons will play whoever wins the final game on Friday at 7:30 p.m., which will feature the loser of the No. 7 vs. No. 8 game against the winner of the No. 9 vs. No. 10 game.
Here’s a breakdown of how all four teams match up against the Pistons, with the toughest team ranked first.
No. 1: Charlotte Hornets
No. 2: Miami Heat
No. 3: Philadelphia 76ers
No. 4: Orlando Magic
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Contact Omari Sankofa II at osankofa@freepress.com. Follow him on Bluesky and/or X @omarisankofa.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: The team most likely to upset Pistons in first round of NBA playoffs
Reporting by Omari Sankofa II, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
