Until it did, the Pistons were on the verge of a smashing return to the postseason, before the kind of collapse their young core had avoided so well. Detroit blew an eight-point lead in the fourth quarter on opening night against Indiana, then hadn't lost when leading by eight or more in the final period since.

The Pistons, with a young core led by Cade Cunningham making its playoff debut, acquitted themselves well most of the night before the stunning collapse. It was the Pistons’ first postseason game since 2019 and their NBA-record playoff losing streak was extended to 15 games dating back to 2008.