Play-In Tournament preview: Pistons await first-round opponent

Detroit — The Detroit Pistons left Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Sunday night, overjoyed. They closed their regular-season finale with a 133-121 win over the Indiana Pacers, which gave the Pistons their 60th victory of the season.

The team celebrated in the visiting locker room, but by the time their plane landed back in Detroit, their mood changed from festive to serious. While the Pistons are grateful for their latest achievement, they are not yet satisfied, as they have shifted their focus to the playoffs.

"It’s a sign of the work that has been done by everyone who is a part of this. The front office. The coaching staff. The players. The medical staff. Everyone who has touched these guys to help them with that consistency and effort," coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. "It's a group thing. Everyone who is a part of this should be celebrated for it, but our work is not done."

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The Pistons' 60-22 record secured Detroit the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs, with home-court advantage until the NBA Finals in June, if they advance that far.

The first round of the playoffs will start at Little Caesars Arena on Sunday at 6:30 p.m. The Pistons are set to face the No. 8 seed in their conference, but they will need to wait until the conclusion of the NBA Play-In Tournament to find out who their first-round opponent will be.

"You have to pay attention. It gives you a chance to watch tendencies of the teams and individual players," Bickerstaff said. "In games like this, when things are so meaningful, things can be exposed one way or another."

Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren (0) looks for room around L to R, Miami Heat forward Nikola Jović (5) and Miami Heat guard Dru Smith (12) in the second quarter. Detroit Pistons vs Miami Heat at Little Caesars Arena on January 1, 2026, in Detroit, MI.

Play-In Tournament preview

No. 9 Charlotte Hornets vs. No. 10 Miami Heat

The Charlotte Hornets and Miami Heat are set to face off in the first Play-In Tournament game on Tuesday night at Spectrum Center in Charlotte.

As the two lower seeds in the conference, the team that loses this matchup will be eliminated from postseason contention. The winner will advance to the Play-In Tournament Finals on Friday, facing the loser of the No. 7 and No. 8 seeds.

The Hornets have been one of the best teams in the league since January, posting the fifth-best record at 33-16. Brandon Miller took the helm as the Hornets' top scorer during that span, averaging a team-high 20.4 points on .449/.404/.917 shooting splits, to go along with 5.3 rebounds. Rookie of the Year candidate Kon Knueppel averaged 18.0 points on 42.0% shooting from behind the arc.

Despite their improved performance, the Hornets struggled against the Heat, losing the four-game regular-season series 3-1. The Heat will make their fourth consecutive Play-In appearance after finishing the season with a 43-39 record. Bam Adebayo averaged 25.0 points against the Hornets, to go along with 9.0 rebounds. Tyler Herro scored a team-best 26.5 points against Charlotte this season.

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No. 7 Philadelphia 76ers vs. No. 8 Orlando Magic

The winner of the game between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night at Xfinity Mobile Arena will secure the No. 7 seed for a first-round matchup against the No. 2-seeded Boston Celtics. However, this Play-In Tournament game will feature two of the league's most disappointing teams.

The 76ers finished the year at 45-37. When healthy, they are always a massive threat, but health is never on Philadelphia's side. They are entering the tournament without Joel Embiid, who underwent emergency surgery for appendicitis on Friday.

In addition, the 76ers have yet to reap the benefits of their free-agent acquisition of Paul George in the summer of 2024 due to his injuries. George finished his second season with Philadelphia, averaging 17.3 points and 5.3 rebounds across 37 games.

Despite their struggles, the 76ers still managed to win their regular-season series 2-1 against the Magic, with All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey averaging 30.7 points.

The Magic have been one of the most inconsistent teams in the league, marked by numerous winning and losing streaks throughout the regular season, which concluded with Orlando posting a 45-37 record. However, former No. 1 pick Paolo Banchero has continued to demonstrate why he remains one of the league's top young talents. Banchero averaged 22.2 points on 45.9% shooting from the field, along with 8.4 rebounds and 5.2 assists.

coty.davis@detroitnews.com

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This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Play-In Tournament preview: Detroit Pistons await first-round opponent