Pistons clinch playoff spot
The Detroit Pistons officially clinched a 2026 NBA playoff berth — one of the season’s early surprises alongside the Oklahoma City Thunder — as the postseason chase tightens with the April 18 start date looming (cbssports.com) (espn.com). Detroit survived a four‑game skid earlier this month but corrected course in time to lock up a spot (si.com).
Detroit’s clincher arrived Friday, a 115-101 home win over Golden State at Little Caesars Arena in which Jalen Duren led the way with 23 points. (NBA.com ) The victory moved Detroit to 51-19 on the season, according to game summaries that list the Pistons’ record after the win. (ESPN ) J.B. Bickerstaff has been the Pistons’ head coach since July 3, 2024, and guided the club through the regular season surge that produced the early clinch. (Pistons.com ) Backups filled in during the clincher: Daniss Jenkins started in place of Cade Cunningham and was a primary contributor, while Detroit’s depth combined for a balanced scoring effort. (USA Today / RollTideWire ) Cade Cunningham was diagnosed with a left-lung pneumothorax on March 19 and will be re-evaluated in two weeks, with the team calling his absence an “extended period” and the injury expected to remove him from All‑NBA/MVP consideration. (NBA.com ) (ESPN ) The league calendar now points to the SoFi Play‑In Tournament on April 14‑17 and the first round of the playoffs beginning April 18, with Oklahoma City already having clinched the Western Conference earlier in March. (NBA.com ) (ESPN postseason tracker )
