CLEVELAND — The Cavaliers know the Detroit Pistons extremely well because the two Eastern Conference teams reside in the Central Division and Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff guided the Cavs for four-plus seasons until he was fired in May 2024.
The Cavs hired coach Kenny Atkinson as Bickerstaff’s replacement. Nearly two years later, Atkinson and the Cavs will meet Bickerstaff and the Pistons in the Eastern Conference semifinals, otherwise known as the second round of the NBA playoffs.
The Pistons went 60-22 in the 2025-26 regular season to capture the East’s No. 1 playoff seed. They will have home-court advantage in a best-of-seven series against the Cavs, who earned the East’s No. 4 seed amid a bevy of injuries with a regular-season record of 50-32.
In the first round, the Cavs and Pistons seized 4-3 series wins over the No. 5 Toronto Raptors and No. 8 Orlando Magic, respectively. Game 1 between the Cavs and Pistons is set for 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 5, in Detroit.
Check below for much more information about Cavs versus Pistons.
Detroit Pistons starters and other key players
Here are the Pistons starters with stats from this year’s playoffs:
Other top Pistons players: guard Daniss Jenkins, forward/center Isaiah Stewart, guard Javonte Green, forward Paul Reed and guard Caris LeVert
Detroit Pistons injury report
The Pistons had one player on their injury report for Game 7 against the Magic. They ruled out wing Kevin Huerter (left abductor strain).
What is Cavs’ record vs. Pistons? Cavaliers went 2-2 against the Pistons in 2025-26 regular season
The Cavs went 2-2 against the Pistons in the 2025-26 regular season.
Here are the results from those Cavs-Pistons games:
Cavs playoff schedule. When do Cavaliers and Pistons play?
The Cavs-Pistons series will start with Game 1 at 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 5, in Detroit. It will be televised by Peacock and NBC Sports Network.
Nate Ulrich is the sports columnist of the Akron Beacon Journal and a sports features writer. Nate can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cavaliers advance to face Pistons, J.B. Bickerstaff in second round
Reporting by Nate Ulrich, Akron Beacon Journal / Akron Beacon Journal
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