Nearly two years ago, the Detroit Pistons concluded a four-game road trip in Philadelphia with a 120-102 loss to the 76ers. The loss occurred during the challenging 2023-24 season on April 9, 2024, marking another disappointing year for the Pistons, who finished with a 13-66 record. Not only did they have the worst record in the Eastern Conference, but they also held the worst record in the ...

The Detroit Pistons' Tobias Harris drives against the Philadelphia 76 ers' Vj Edgecombe during the first half at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Saturday, April 4, 2026, in Philadelphia.

Emilee Chinn/Getty Images North America/TNS

Nearly two years ago, the Detroit Pistons concluded a four-game road trip in Philadelphia with a 120-102 loss to the 76ers. The loss occurred during the challenging 2023-24 season on April 9, 2024, marking another disappointing year for the Pistons, who finished with a 13-66 record. Not only did they have the worst record in the Eastern Conference, but they also held the worst record in the entire NBA.

On Saturday night at the Xfinity Mobile Arena, the Pistons notched their third consecutive victory in Philadelphia with a 116-93 win over the 76ers. The victory improved Detroit's overall record to 57-21 and, more importantly, secured the Pistons the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference for the 2026 NBA playoffs. The path to the NBA Finals in the East in June will now have to go through the Motor City.

Securing the No. 1 seed and home-court advantage throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs is a testament to the Pistons' growth since their dismal season two years ago.

Their ability to perform well without Cade Cunningham has been one of the clearest indicators of their progress. After his injury, which involved a collapsed left lung, the victory allowed them to improve to 8-2 in the games he's been sidelined.

Daniss Jenkins delivered an impressive performance, showing how the Pistons stayed competitive without their star guard. He achieved a double-double with 16 points and 14 assists. He came into the game averaging 19.3 points and 7.0 assists as Detroit's starting point guard in place of Cunningham.

Jenkins' performance was particularly impressive as he scored 13 points and provided eight assists in the first half, especially considering Jalen Duren's lackluster performance. Duren, an All-Star center, played despite dealing with an illness that had made him questionable before the game. After overcoming a slow start, he finished the night with 16 points and seven rebounds.

Tobias Harris has played a significant role in the Pistons' resurgence since leaving Philadelphia on July 24. The 15-year veteran forward recently overcame a left hip contusion that cut his game short against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday. Despite this setback, he led the team with 19 points, shooting 7 of 13 from the field.

The last time the Pistons entered the playoffs as the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference was in 2007. Detroit finished the regular season with a 53-29 record and advanced to the Eastern Conference finals, but fell in six games to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Due to the 76ers playing the second night of a back-to-back, Philadelphia was without Joel Embiid. As a result, Tyrese Maxey led the 76ers with 23 points, while Paul George added 20 points, to go along with five rebounds and four assists.

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