Updated April 12, 2026, 3:42 p.m. ET
When will the NBA release the 2026 Detroit Pistons playoff schedule for their first-round series?
The NBA for the past few years has released the playoff schedule for all eight first-round series overnight after Tuesday’s play-in tournament games − the first night of three play-in dates as teams battle for the Nos. 7 and 8 seeds in each conference.
The 1-seed Pistons will play Game 1 next Sunday, April 19, the second day of the playoffs.
After that, the schedule and TV is up in the air.
The Pistons will host Game 2 on either Tuesday, April 21 or Wednesday, April 22, then play two road games by the end of the week in the best-of-7 series.
The Pistons (59-22) visit the Indiana Pacers today on the final day of the NBA regular season.
Here’s a look at what we know about the Pistons playoff series schedule so far and the NBA playoff bracket for 2026:
Who will Pistons play in playoffs first round?
The Pistons will play the No. 8 seed, which will be decided in the NBA Play-In Tournament this coming week. They could play one of five teams: Miami Heat, Charlotte Hornets, Philadelphia 76ers, Orlando Magic or Toronto Raptors.
Pistons playoff schedule for first round series
Best-of-seven; dates, times, TV channel to be announced.
- Game 1, April 19: No. 8 seed at Pistons, Little Caesars Arena, time TV TBA
- Game 2, April 21/22: No. 8 seed at Pistons, Little Caesars Arena, TBA
- Game 3, TBA: Pistons at No. 8 seed, TBA
- Game 4, TBA: Pistons at No. 8 seed, TBA
- Game 5, TBA: No. 8 seed at Pistons, Little Caesars Arena, TBA (if necessary)
- Game 6, TBA: Pistons at No. 8 seed, TBA (if necessary)
- Game 7, TBA: No. 8 seed at Pistons, Little Caesars Arena, TBA (if necessary)
NBA Play-In Tournament bracket 2026
Entering play on Sunday, April 12, here’s how the play-in tournament matchups would look entering the season’s final game:
Eastern Conference
- (7) Orlando Magic vs. (8) Philadelphia 76ers, Tuesday
- (9) Charlotte Hornets vs. (10) Miami Heat, Wednesday
[ Ranking Pistons’ most dangerous potential first-round opponents ]
Western Conference
- (7) Phoenix Suns vs. (8) Portland Trail Blazers, Tuesday
- (9) Los Angeles Clippers vs. (10) Golden State Warriors, Wednesday
NBA playoffs bracket 2026
Here are the playoff matchups for the first round, as the standings sit entering the final game of the season:
Eastern Conference bracket
- (1) Detroit Pistons vs. (8) play-in winner
- (4) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (5) Atlanta Hawks
- (3) New York Knicks vs. (6) Toronto Raptors
- (2) Boston Celtics vs. (7) play-in winner
Western Conference bracket
- (1) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (8) play-in winner
- (4) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (5) Houston Rockets
- (3) Denver Nuggets vs. (6) Minnesota Timberwolves
- (2) San Antonio Spurs vs. (7) play-in winner
[ Get ready for the NBA playoffs with the best Pistons coverage at freep.com/sports/pistons. ]
How to watch NBA playoffs 2026
- TV channel: ESPN, ABC and NBC are the league’s broadcast partners, along with NBA TV for the first round.
- Streaming: On Prime Video, Fubo (free trial), ESPN app, ESPN Unlimited, Peacock.
Fubo offers a free trial for new subscribers and has packages carrying ESPN, ABC, NBC and NBA TV games. You can also stream NBC games on Peacock.
Amazon Prime Video will carry the six play-in tournament games.
[ MUST WATCH: See the most recent episode of our podcast, “The Pistons Pulse,” streamed live weekly on the Detroit Free Press YouTube channel or listen wherever you get podcasts. ]
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