Detroit Pistons Poised to Make History With One More Win
The Detroit Pistons closed out Game 81 with a dominant fourth quarter. They beat the Charlotte Hornets 118-100 on Friday, April 10.
Game details
Detroit opened the fourth quarter with a 22-4 run. Charlotte managed only 10 points in the final period and shot 26.3 percent in that stretch.
Cade Cunningham played 28 minutes in his first game back. He finished with 14 points and seven assists.
Roster returns
Cunningham had missed 11 games after suffering a collapsed left lung on March 17. He was reintroduced as a starter at Little Caesars Arena on Wednesday, April 8.
Isaiah Stewart missed 13 games with a left calf strain. He also returned in the Pistons’ home finale.
Kevin Huerter was listed for illness, attended shootaround, and was upgraded to available.
Milestone chase
The Pistons entered the final regular-season game at 59-22. With one more win, the Detroit Pistons are poised to make history.
A victory on Sunday, April 12, at Indiana would deliver the franchise’s third 60-win season. That mark would match the franchise’s total NBA championships.
Next game information
Game: Pistons (59-22) at Pacers (19-62). Tipoff: 6 p.m. Sunday, April 12. Venue: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis.
Broadcast: FanDuel Sports Network Detroit and WMYD-TV (Ch. 20 in Detroit). Radio: WXYT-FM (97.1). A Pacers win would help them avoid tying the worst mark in franchise history.
Season context and metrics
The Pistons have won 11 of 14 despite earlier absences. The team had been mostly healthy for the first time in more than a month.
Detroit ranks among the league’s best defensively and sits inside the top 11 on offense. They force turnovers at an elite rate and thrive in physical, transition play.
Charlotte had been one of the hottest teams since Jan. 1. Yet Detroit’s defense flipped the script in the fourth quarter.
Playoff outlook
The NBA playoffs begin April 18. The Pistons’ postseason opener is likely on April 19 at Little Caesars Arena.
Longer goals include ending a drought of home postseason wins, and winning the first playoff series since 2008. The roster has publicly embraced a championship goal.
Coverage and reporting by Filmogaz.com.
