Pistons lock No. 1 seed

Detroit will open the Eastern Conference playoffs as the No. 1 seed after finishing 60-22, with Game 1 set for Sunday, April 19, at Little Caesars Arena. (nba.com) The National Basketball Association lists the Pistons first in the East at 60-22, ahead of Boston at 56-26, and the league’s playoff bracket has Detroit facing the No. 8 seed. Game 1 is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Eastern on NBC and Peacock. (nba.com, nba.com) Detroit’s opponent is still unsettled because the SoFi Play-In Tournament runs from April 14 through April 17. The East play-in field includes the Philadelphia 76ers, Orlando Magic, Charlotte Hornets and Miami Heat. (nba.com, nba.com) The home dates are the part Detroit already knows. The Detroit Free Press reported that Game 1 is Sunday night and Game 2 will also be at Little Caesars Arena before the series shifts to the lower seed’s floor. (freep.com) This is Detroit’s first time hosting a playoff series since 2008, and it is the first home playoff series for the franchise at Little Caesars Arena, which opened in 2017. ClickOnDetroit reported the arena will stage its first Pistons playoff game on Sunday. (clickondetroit.com) The season also pushed into franchise-history territory. Tom Gores said in a letter to fans that the 60-22 finish was Detroit’s third-winningest season ever and its best record since 1988-89. (freep.com) The rise came fast. The Free Press reported the Pistons became the first National Basketball Association team to win 60 games two seasons after losing 60 games. (freep.com) The turnaround started before this spring. Basketball-Reference shows Detroit went 44-38 in 2024-25 after a 14-68 season in 2023-24, then climbed again to 60 wins this year. (basketball-reference.com, basketball-reference.com) Now the bracket finally brings playoff basketball back to downtown Detroit with home-court advantage attached. The only missing piece is the opponent, and the Pistons will learn that after the play-in finishes on Friday, April 17. (nba.com, freep.com)