Pistons clinch playoffs
The Detroit Pistons officially clinched an NBA playoff spot as of March 21, marking a major turnaround after a recent four‑game losing streak and late‑season defensive fixes that locked up the berth early. Projections now show Detroit among teams already in the bracket — seeding jockeying and tiebreakers still matter but the Pistons have real momentum heading into April ( ).
Detroit’s Friday night win over Golden State finished 115-101 at Little Caesars Arena, with Jalen Duren scoring 23 points and Daniss Jenkins recording 22 points, seven rebounds and eight assists in the victory. (freep.com)) The victory pushed Detroit’s record to 51-19 with roughly a dozen regular-season games remaining on the schedule. (freep.com)) Star guard Cade Cunningham has been diagnosed with a collapsed lung and is expected to miss an extended period, a development first reported via ESPN and summarized in coverage of the injury’s playoff-timeline implications. (forbes.com)) Daniss Jenkins, who was converted to a standard NBA contract by Detroit on Feb. 9, started in Cunningham’s absence and has increased his role down the stretch, including the 22-7-8 line in Friday’s game. (nba.com)) Center Jalen Duren has paced Detroit’s surge, posting a career-high 36 points earlier this month and anchoring a defense that ranks among the league’s best with a team defensive rating around 109.8. (si.com)) Projection trackers list Detroit as the East’s top seed if the season ended today and pair the team against the No. 8 seed in a first-round matchup; the NBA’s regular season ends April 12, the SoFi Play‑In begins April 14 and the playoffs start April 18. (cbssports.com))
