5 keys for Detroit Pistons, plus Game 1 prediction vs Cavaliers

The Detroit Pistons just pulled off an all-time comeback to prevail over the Orlando Magic in the first round of the 2026 NBA playoffs, completing a rally from a 3-1 series deficit with Sunday's Game 7 blowout. Now, they're onto the Eastern Conference semifinals. Teh top-seeded Pistons will tip off in that round for the first time since 2008 when they host the No.

4 seed Cleveland Cavaliers at Little Caesars Arena on Tuesday, May 5. It'll be a battle between two longtime division rivals and pit Pistons coach J. B.

Bickerstaff against his former team, which fired him after the 2023-24 season. Here are five keys to success for the Pistons, plus a prediction, for the Pistons in the second round: How quickly can Pistons solve new-look Cavaliers? 'UNC' RULES: Tobias Harris etching his name into Pistons lore with playoff blaze The Central Division foes split the regular season series 2-2, but the Pistons never quite faced the current iteration of their second-round foe.

Star guard Donovan Mitchell missed the final two games of the series, in February and March, and perennial All-Star James Harden, an addition at the trade deadline, only appeared in the fourth game. Game 1 will be the first matchup for the Pistons against Harden and Mitchell together. In some ways, the Cavs are the inverse of the Magic.