PHILADELPHIA — For the first time since 2007, the Detroit Pistons have claimed the Eastern Conference’s No. 1 seed in the NBA playoffs.
They last sat atop the East heading into the postseason when the late Flip Saunders patrolled the sidelines and Rip Hamilton was the Pistons’ leading scorer. Ron Holland II wasn’t even 2 years old yet, and Tobias Harris — the oldest player on Detroit’s roster this season — had yet to turn 15.
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Ausar Thompson, who was born in 2003 and in preschool in 2007, joked after the win that 2007 was when he gained consciousness.
Saturday’s 116-93 win over the Philadelphia 76ers marks the first time in nearly 20 years the Pistons (57-21) earned the first seed and further underscores just how drastic their turnaround has been over the last two seasons. It also ensures they will have home-court advantage through at least the Eastern Conference finals — should Detroit make it that far.
J.B. Bickerstaff has orchestrated the Pistons’ return to relevance since taking over during the 2045-25 season. He has emphasized a process-driven mentality that his team has adopted, and routinely combats complacency after each new milestone. This achievement was no different.
“(We’ll) take a moment. Reflect on where we’ve been, reflect on the work that we put in to get here,” Bickerstaff said over celebratory cheers spilling out from Detroit’s locker room. “But understanding that this isn’t the finish. To grow the way this group has grown together as quickly as it has, it is special. But we’ve got more food to eat. We’ll take tonight, enjoy this, tomorrow we’ll get back to work.”
Daniss Jenkins, who has helped guide the Pistons to an 8-2 record since Cade Cunningham went down with a left lung pneumothorax on March 17, continued his stellar play. The second-year guard notched his third double-double of the season with 16 points on 2-of-5 from long range, 14 assists and just one turnover.
Jenkins spoke to how meaningful Detroit’s transformation has been to him, as someone who has felt overlooked for quite some time.
“My biggest thing for the guys who were here through the good, bad and ugly was their true character,” Jenkins said as he sat at his locker. “Just to stay with it, because know how everybody was talking about them around the league. Just their character to fight back through adversity. To me, I love stories like this, you know what I mean? It’s like underdogs. Everybody was looking down at us and looking at us like, ‘Oh they’re trash’ or whatever.
“We just go out and show the world what we’re really about.”
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The Pistons have weathered adversity all season, from injuries to suspensions, and have still maintained their position as the No. 1 seed in the conference since Nov. 7, 2025. Jalen Duren — a Pennsylvania native, who added 16 points and seven rebounds in Saturday’s win — has been invaluable in Detroit’s ascension.
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He’s on pace for career highs in points (19.5), usage percentage (23.1), offensive rating (119.8), defensive rating (107.6) and net rating (12.1). The 22-year-old center has expanded his game and, in the process, solidified himself as the Robin to Cunningham’s Batman.
Duren has also blossomed into one of the Pistons’ vocal leaders. He’s someone who players rely on to set the tone on the floor, and more often than not, he sets the tone in the locker room with his pre- and postgame music selections. Though Duren is in just his fourth season, he has been outspoken on his affinity for the city of Detroit. Helping the team and city reclaim their standing as one of the NBA’s elites is meaningful to him.
“It means the world,” Duren said about clinching the No. 1 seed. “I think we’ve got the best fans in the league. They’ve been behind us ever since I got here — through the ups, through the downs — they’ve supported us. They deserve it, man, the city deserves it. We’ve got a long way to go, a lot more to accomplish, but we’re going to enjoy this tonight.”
Asked Jalen Duren what it means to clinch the No. 1 seed for the first time since 2007:
“It means the world. We’ve got the best fans in the league. They’ve been behind us ever since I got here, through the ups through the downs they’ve supported us. They deserve it.” pic.twitter.com/gJ4d68ag8Q
— Hunter Patterson (@HunterPatterson) April 5, 2026
Harris, the resident vet who was booed each time he touched the ball and had his family sitting courtside, poured in 19 points of his own with four steals Saturday night.
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Bickerstaff often refers to Harris as his “safety blanket.” Like Bickerstaff, Harris came in last season and helped shift the culture of the Pistons’ locker room. He has played for five franchises during his 15-year career, including the 76ers, and believes the camaraderie Detroit shares has been instrumental in its evolution.
But what specifically is the resident veteran most proud of about the Pistons’ growth?
“Truthfully, just these guys,” Harris said with the team’s BTA belt propped up in his locker. “The willingness and ability for them to want to be eager to learn, develop their games and be the best they can be. You get a little taste of winning and you’re just excited every single day you come in the building. So, that’s been great for us.”
Detroit continues to exceed expectations, as it has since the beginning of last season. The Pistons clinched the Central Division title for the first time since 2008 with Tuesday’s win over the Toronto Raptors. They’re now locked in as the No. 1 seed in the East after proving they were the best team in the conference all season. And they have a real shot at notching 60 wins for only the third time in franchise history.
But as usual, they’re not satisfied with just being the No. 1 seed. Nor are they getting ahead of themselves because they’ve claimed that position.
“What our guys have done a great job with throughout this season is staying present and staying in the moment,” Bickerstaff said. “All we think about is, ‘What are we going to do today that’s going to make us a better basketball team.’ We don’t think about 10 games, we don’t think about March or April.
“We think about exactly where we are in that moment, and that allows us to stay consistent emotionally, go out and play the game the right way.”