The Detroit Pistons could face one of two teams in the first round of the NBA Playoffs when their postseason journey begins on Sunday
Which team is a better matchup for the Pistons?
If the NBA needs any help in selling the concept of the play-in round to doubters or skeptics, the Eastern Conference’s opening two matches are crystallized examples of why the extra hurdle creates high-level basketball.
On Tuesday, the Charlotte Hornets (44-38) needed every bit of overtime in order to defeat the Miami Heat by a narrow 127-126 margin, but their raucous Spectrum Center crowd might have made the difference if not for LaMelo Ball’s 30-point effort. Ball added 10 assists for a key double-double in the tense matchup, and Miles Bridges posted another 28 points to make up the lion’s share of the Charlotte offense.
The next night in Philadelphia, both the 76ers and the Orlando Magic (45-37) took the court in an attempt to punch their ticket directly for a matchup against the Boston Celtics in the first round of the playoffs. Down the stretch, 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey engaged in a head-to-head duel with Desmond Bane to determine who would automatically advance, and the Philadelphia sharp-shooter pushed his team to a 109-97 victory. Along with the Kentucky product’s timely 31-point effort, both VJ Edgecombe and Kelly Oubre Jr. contributed 19 points apiece to help aid in Philly’s 12-point win.
By virtue of that result, the Magic will be thrust into a battle with the Hornets on Friday, April 17 at 7:30 to fill the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference and finalize the Detroit Pistons’ first round opponent all in one fail swoop.
How Do The Pistons Stack Up Against The Hornets?
Out of the Pistons’ two potential opponents, the most intriguing matchup is without a doubt a potential collision course with the Hornets after their fiery battles during the regular season. As NBA fans recall, the Pistons and Hornets were embroiled in some extra-curricular activities during their mid-February meeting that resulted in suspensions for Isaiah Stewart, Jalen Duren, Miles Bridges and Moussa Diabate. The Pistons were able to pick up a victory in that heated contest, and Detroit was able to pull off a 3-0 overall sweep of the Hornets in the regular season.
In those three wins, Detroit managed a 16.66 average margin of victory, but the Hornets have improved incrementally as the 2025-26 season has developed. According to DataBallr, Charlotte’s five-man lineup of Ball, Bridges, Diabate, Kon Knueppel and Brandon Miller posted the top padded net WOWY rating in the NBA this season at a +16.2 across 489 minutes. Coincidentally, the Pistons’ check in at the No. 2 position with their five-man grouping of Duren, Daniss Jenkins, Tobias Harris, Ausar Thompson and Duncan Robinson at +10 over 182 minutes, so the two teams share a similar brand of efficiency.
In a stylistic sense, the Hornets are a dangerous three-point shooting team that ranked No. 1 in long-range shots during the regular season. The Hornets have the two of the league's top five shooters from beyond the arc in Ball and Knueppel, and Charlotte's offense can heat up in a hurry, especially when they're playing in front of their spirited fans.
What Challenges Would A Series Against The Magic Pose?
Based on that indication, a potential Pistons-Hornets series could spell an extended dose of competitive basketball, but Detroit would carry a decided mental advantage into the series after pulling off a regular season sweep. But when comparing the Magic to the Hornets, not much separated the two squads in the standings with second and third-place finishes in the Southeast Division respectively.
If the Magic are able to win on Friday night and earn the right to advance further, the Pistons would have a much different task on their hands. During the regular season, Detroit split four games with the Magic at 2-2, including a late-season 16-point loss just before Cunningham returned from his collapsed lung. But earlier in the season, Cunningham put up 30 points in Detroit’s first meeting with Orlando before unleashing a 39-point triple-double on the Magic during a three-point loss in the NBA Cup on Nov. 28.
Over the course of the season, the Magic attempted more free throws per game than any other team in the NBA. With that volume serving as additional practice from the charity stripe, Orlando converted free throws at the eighth-highest rate at 80.1%.
Despite those mixed results, the Pistons will have the benefit of entering the postseason well-rested after six consecutive days off during the week while the Hornets and Magic have battled it out through the play-in games. Once Detroit’s opponent is determined, the Pistons will open the playoffs at home on Sunday, April 19 at 6:30 pm at Little Caesars Arena.
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