With their 131-114 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night, the Detroit Pistons moved above the .500 mark for the first time since Dec. 18. They also now sit tied with the Brooklyn Nets for the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference, though the Pistons do own the tie-breaker.
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The 6th-place Pistons have a 2.5-game cushion on a playoff spot with 19 games still to go. But Detroit’s hold on a postseason berth is not as tenuous as that sounds. Not only are they playing far better than the likes of Charlotte, and Miami, they also have the 9th-easiest schedule remaining, while the Hornets and Heat have the 8th and 9th-hardest, respectively. Since they would have to be leapfrogged by three teams, the Pistons have about an 85% chance to make the playoffs as we could confirm in the following championship tracker from Sports Betting Dime.
Here is what the next five games look like for the Pistons as they hope to continue on their path the playoffs.
Friday, March 8 @ Chicago Bulls
Sunday, March 10 vs. Chicago Bulls
Monday, March 11 @ Brooklyn Nets
Wednesday, March 13 @Miami Heat
Friday, March 15 vs. Los Angeles Lakers
What do you think, Nation? Will the Pistons finish strong and qualify for the NBA Playoffs? What is their ceiling this season?