How Pistons Make (Or Miss) Playoffs With Two Games To Go

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Photo credit © Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports

The Pistons are closing in on their first playoff berth since 2016, but limping toward the finish line.

What was a comfortable cushion a few weeks ago has become precarious, thanks to Detroit's four-game losing streak and losses in seven of its last nine. 

With two games to go, the Pistons are one game ahead of both the Hornets and the Heat for the final playoff spot in the East. 

They have a 91 percent chance of making the postseason, according to FiveThirtyEight.com. Here's how they get there. 

  • Beat the Grizzlies Tuesday night, beat the Knicks Wednesday night. 
    • The Pistons control their destiny. If they win their final two games, they're in. 
  • Finish 1-1, while the Hornets finish 1-1. 
    • The Pistons must stay ahead of the Hornets, who own the head-to-head tiebreaker. Detroit does hold the tiebreaker over Miami. 
  • Hornets lose out, Heat lose out. 
    • The current standings hold. 

The Hornets, obviously, are the Pistons' biggest threat. If they beat the Cavaliers (19-62) and the Magic (41-40) in their final two games, the Pistons must hold serve against the Grizzlies (32-48) and the Knicks (16-64). 1-1 won't get it done. 

The Heat are very much on the outside looking in, with a less than one percent chance to make it, according to FiveThirtyEight. They'll have to beat the 76ers (50-30) and the Nets (41-40), while the Pistons lose out and the Hornets finish 1-1.

If the standings hold, the Pistons will play the Bucks in the first round of the playoffs. Detroit went 0-4 against Milwaukee this season. 

The Pistons can climb to seventh in the East if they win out and the Magic lose their final game. In that case the Pistons would play the Raptors, against whom they went 3-0 this season. 

Clearly, the schedule is kind to Detroit in the final two games. The Pistons are unbeaten in four games against the Grizzlies and the Knicks this season. 

Memphis will be severely undermanned Tuesday night, as its top four scorers in Mike Conley, Jonas Valanciunas, Avery Bradley and Jaren Jackson Jr will not play. Tip-off from Little Caesars Arena is set for 7 p.m.