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Get the four-seed
Is this ranking a little high, particularly compared to some teams with better records? Maybe, but the Pistons are accelerating while their competition has been struggling. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but the Pistons are in the thick of a very intriguing divisional race for the fourth seed.
Milwaukee, Indiana, and Detroit are in their own tier in the East, well behind New York for the third seed but far ahead of the Miami/Orlando duo battling for seventh. Only one game separates four from six.
The three teams also despise each other, which should make for some great playoff theater between whichever two squads end up seeded fourth and fifth. Mmm… playoff-grade beef! Delicious.
For Detroit, which has finished 13th or worse in the conference for the last five seasons, earning homecourt advantage would be nothing short of a miracle. They’re 9-1 in their last 10 games and playing like a team ready to win a series.
Adding to the drama, Detroit ends their season with two games against Milwaukee. Those matches might well determine who gets home-court advantage at the expense of their immediate playoff foe. What fun!
