Pistons play first of two season-ending games against the Milwaukee Bucks with playoff seeding on the line
If the Detroit Pistons want to play 82 meaningful games, they will need to win game No. 81 tonight against the Milwaukee Bucks . If the Pistons win tonight at home at Little Caesars Arena, then Sunday’s season finale against the Bucks in Milwaukee will determine who gets the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. If the Pistons lose tonight, that game effectively means nothing. The Pistons have played the Bucks twice and lost twice. But the last time was all the way back on Dec. 3. That pushed Detroit to five games below .500, nearly the low point before their season completely turned around. The Pistons are a much better team now, but they still have a lot to prove.
But head coach JB Bickerstaff says they are going into tonight like it’s just another game. It’s what they have done all season, and it has led to a magical turnaround season.
“Every game for us is an opportunity. Every game for us is a challenge,” he said. “I believe that’s helped us find consistency throughout the year, so we won’t change that. We will focus on the task at hand and try to go out there and get the job done.
Game Vitals
When: 7 p.m. ET
Where: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, Michigan
Watch: Fan Duel Sports Network Detroit, NBA TV
Odds: Pistons -4.5
Projected Lineups
Detroit Pistons (44-36)
Cade Cunningham, Tim Hardaway Jr, Ausar Thompson, Tobias Harris, Jalen Duren
Milwaukee Bucks (46-34)
Ryan Rollins, Taurean Prince, Kyle Kuzma, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Brook Lopez