Pistons in 'a great spot' as they await first-round playoff opponent

Detroit — The sound of a basketball echoing throughout the Henry Ford Health Pistons Performance Center in mid-April signifies one thing — it's playoff time for the Pistons.

Coach J.B. Bickerstaff's voice was loud as usual. But unlike during the regular season, he was a lot more strategic and intentional. On Wednesday, the Pistons held their first practice in preparation for their first-round playoff series, which starts Sunday at Little Caesars Arena.

"We are in a great spot. We had a few days here to get guys healthy and get bodies back," Bickerstaff said. "We have a great amount of time to prepare to work on the things we need to work on. Watching the last 10 to 15 games of things we can do a better job on and focus on us right now because we are waiting on who our opponent will be."

After finishing the regular season with a 60-22 record, the Pistons have entered the playoffs as the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. They will face the No. 8 seed, which is still to be determined due to the NBA Play-In Tournament.

More: Detroit Pistons playoff schedule and home game activations announced

On Tuesday, the Charlotte Hornets eliminated the Miami Heat from contention with a 127-126 victory. The Hornets will play the winner between the Philadelphia 76ers and Orlando Magic on Friday.

The uncertainty about their opponent shows how much the Pistons have progressed since last year's postseason, which was a new experience for many of Detroit's core players.

Big man Isaiah Stewart (28) said the Pistons "will be ready for whoever we face" in the first round of the NBA playoffs.

"We are hungry," Isaiah Stewart said. "We are so ready for that first game to get here. We actually had to hold ourselves back a little in practice today so we wouldn't hurt each other. … It is a little bit different this year because we still do not know who our first-round opponent will be. But all that means is that we handled our business in the regular season. It's a good position to be in. As a collective, we will be ready for whoever we face."

Last year, the Pistons entered the postseason as the league's most surprising team. They won 44 games and ended their five-year playoff drought as the No. 6 seed, facing the New York Knicks. The Pistons lost the series in six games, but if a few calls and plays had gone Detroit's way, the outcome might have been different.

Although the loss was painful, it also taught the Pistons valuable lessons that contributed to their best regular season in 20 years. One of their most significant lessons resulted from late-game execution.

Outside of a nine-point Game 1 loss at Madison Square Garden, the Pistons lost the other three games by a combined six points. Games 3-6 marked the first time since 1981 that four straight playoff games were decided by three points or fewer.

This season, the Pistons found themselves in clutch-time games 42 times and executed the lessons learned. They put together the league's best record at 27-15 in games that were decided in the final five minutes, in which the score was within five points.

"We have been pretty consistent," Bickerstaff said. "During the season, because of injuries and changes, we had to find different ways to close with different players. We have been consistent in understanding what is necessary on both ends of the floor to be able to close games out."

During the regular season, the Pistons have shown they are a different team than the one eliminated in the first round of last season's playoffs. As the Pistons aim to secure their first playoff series victory since 2008, they are also seeking their first home playoff win, which could come in Game 1 on Sunday.

"I'm expecting (home court) to be even better than it was last year, and last year, it was phenomenal," Bickerstaff said. "The energy that was brought, the noise, I tell people all the time that it was hard for me to call plays because the guys could not hear me on the court. We are excited about it. It is always a great opportunity to play playoff basketball in front of your home crowd."

coty.davis@detroitnews.com

@cotydavis_24

No. 1 Pistons vs. TBD

Game 1: at Detroit, Sunday, 6:30 p.m. (NBC)

Game 2: at Detroit, Wednesday, 7:00 p.m. (ESPN)

Game 3: at TBD, Saturday, 1:00 p.m. (Peacock)

Game 4: at TBD, Monday, April 27, TBD (TBD)

x-Game 5: at Detroit, Wednesday, April 29, TBD (TBD)

x-Game 6: at TBD, Friday, May 1, TBD (TBD)

x-Game 7: at Detroit, Sunday, May 3 TBD (TBD)

x-If necessary

This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Detroit Pistons believe they are in 'great spot' entering NBA playoffs