The Pistons had one of the best seasons in the past 15 years. The franchise has been working hard to rebuild and get back to how they used to be. Last year in the 2023-2024 NBA season, the team only had 14 wins with 68 losses. They ended up gaining a record of having a 28 game losing streak. This is the longest losing streak in NBA history. This meant the team finished with the worst record in the Eastern Conference and was also the worst team in the league.
In the off season, the team made some trades and got some good picks in the draft. This would eventually turn the team around. This year during the 2024-2025 season, the team went 44-38. This meant the team had a 30 plus game increase in wins in just one season. The last time the franchise had close to a winning record was the 2018-2019 season, that year they went 41-41. With them finishing 8th in the conference that year, it meant the team just made it to the playoffs. They would face the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round of playoffs, who were the number one seed. They would end up losing the series 4-0 and not being able to pick up a single win.This was the last time the team would get close to the playoffs until this year.
For many seasons, the team could barely get 20 wins, but now it is different. Going into the postseason, the Pistons got selected and matched up against the New York Knicks. This series would be one for the ages. In the first game, the Knicks would end up beating the Pistons 123-112. The Pistons got off to a slow start and just couldn’t make a comeback. In the second game of the series, the Pistons won 100-94, making the series tied at 1-1 and meaning the Pistons just won their first playoff game since 2008. This is something the city of Detroit and the whole state of Michigan have been waiting for. In game 3 the Knicks would end up winning a very close game 118-116. This showed everyone that the Pistons were in it and wouldn’t give up. In the fourth game of the series, the Knicks would take the game 94-93, making the whole world think the Pistons were done. The 5th game was back in Detroit, and it was packed.
“The place was packed, it was the loudest Pistons game I have ever been to. The crowd made the whole stadium feel like it was shaking,” comments LaMarion Wright.It was said that this was the most expensive playoff game in history for the Pistons. The tickets were starting at $300+. This is when the Pistons showed their heart and won the game 106-103. Meaning the series was 3-2 and anyone could win it. In the 6th game, the Pistons would unfortunately come up short, losing 116-113. Yes, they got knocked out of the playoffs, but the team showed the world who they are and that they are ready to make a deep run in the upcoming years. The team isn’t losing any of their core players with the main 8 still being under contract and not looking to leave. We finally get the see the Pistons team everyone has been missing for so long.
