Pistons clinch playoffs
The Detroit Pistons officially clinched a playoff berth — a major turnaround for the franchise this season. Boston also kept pressure on the East by edging Memphis 115‑101 in a game that tightened seeding battles down the stretch. (sundayguardianlive.com)
Against Golden State on March 20, 2026, Detroit beat the Warriors 115-101 at Little Caesars Arena to improve to 51-19 on the season. (espn.com) That victory made the Pistons the first Eastern Conference team to clinch a playoff spot this season, according to league postseason-tracker updates. (nba.com) Detroit reached that mark while without All‑Star guard Cade Cunningham, who was diagnosed with a left pneumothorax (collapsed lung) and will be re‑evaluated in about two weeks per the team. (nba.com) Jalen Duren paced the Pistons with 23 points, Daniss Jenkins started in Cunningham’s place and finished with 22 points, eight assists and seven rebounds, and Golden State’s 26 turnovers produced 32 Detroit points. (espn.com) Boston used a fourth-quarter rally to down Memphis 117-112 on March 20, with Jaylen Brown scoring 30, Luka Garza posting a season‑high 22 and Payton Pritchard adding 19 as the Celtics extended their win streak to four. (nba.com) The Celtics sit 47-23, four games behind Detroit in the Eastern Conference standings, with Detroit slated to play the Los Angeles Lakers on March 23 and Boston scheduled to host the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday as seeding battles continue. (foxsports.com)
