Cover Photo by Chris Schwegler/NBAE via Getty Images

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With either a win tonight or an Orlando Magic (38-40) loss, the Detroit Pistons (42-34) can clinch a spot in the 2025 NBA Playoffs. Standing in the Pistons’ way will be the Toronto Raptors (28-49). The Pistons are 3-0 against the Raptors this season, but All Star guard Cade Cunningham might miss his sixth consecutive game with a left calf contusion. Detroit is just 3-2 in their last five games that Cunningham has missed. 

If the Pistons clinch the sixth seed, or better, they will not face the Play-in round, which would make a playoff run immensely more difficult. There is a case where a Play-in team made the NBA Finals, the Miami Heat (2023), but only one team in the history of the NBA has won the championship from the seventh or eighth spot. That was the Houston Rockets, with Hakeem Olajuwon, in 1995, long before the Play-in was implemented. 

From the sixth seed, the Pistons would likely face the New York Knicks (48-28) in the first round. Detroit is 2-1 against New York this season, with one game remaining, at home, April 10. Detroit is 1-3 against the Cleveland Cavaliers (61-15), the likely 1-seed. Against the likely 2-seed Boston Celtics (56-20), the Pistons are 1-3. 

Looking at tonight’s game, scoring should not be a problem. Detroit is the 11th highest scoring team in the NBA, at 115.4 points per game. Toronto is 23rd, at 110.6. In their last five games (without Cunningham), the Pistons have scored over 100 points in every game, averaging 119.6 points a night. 

Detroit, for the season, has also performed better on defense than Toronto. The Pistons rank 14th in points given up per game, at 113.2. The Raptors rank 19th and give up 115.2 points per game. Over its last five games, Detroit has yielded 118 points per game. 

DraftKings expects the Pistons to win tonight by 11 points, with both teams combining to score 227 points. Google has published a win probability for Detroit of 84 percent. 

The Magic will play the Atlanta Hawks (36-40) Tuesday night. 

Detroit visits Toronto tonight, with tip off at 7:30 p.m. 

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