DETROIT – The top-seeded Detroit Pistons are set to open their Eastern Conference semifinals matchup against the No. 4 seed Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday, with Game 1 tipping off at 7 p.m. at Little Caesars Arena on Peacock.
Both teams are coming off short rest following Game 7 victories on May 3.
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The two Central Division rivals have a long history, having met 245 times in the regular season, with Detroit leading the all-time series 135-110.
In the playoffs, however, Cleveland holds the edge, leading 15-6 in 21 postseason meetings.
The most defining chapter of that rivalry came between 2007 and 2016, when LeBron James and the Cavaliers won 11 of 12 playoff games against Detroit.
That run began in the 2007 Eastern Conference Finals, when James delivered one of the most memorable performances in postseason history, scoring 25 consecutive points to lift Cleveland to a Game 5 victory at The Palace of Auburn Hills.
Cleveland went on to be swept by the Tim Duncan-led San Antonio Spurs in the 2007 NBA Finals.
The Cavaliers then swept Detroit in the first round of the 2009 playoffs and again in the 2016 first round.
Before James’ dominance, Detroit had the upper hand, winning the Eastern Conference semifinals series 4-3 in 2006.
This season, the Pistons finished first in the Central Division with a 60-22 record, while the Cavaliers came in second at 52-30.
Cleveland split the regular-season series with Detroit 2-2, winning their final matchup 113-109 in March, a result that bolstered their confidence heading into the postseason.
Following the regular season series finale, several Cavaliers players expressed confidence about a potential playoff meeting with Detroit.
It was reported that one player, speaking anonymously to a Cavaliers team reporter, dismissed the new-look Bad Boys, saying they “aren’t in our class.”
Another suggested the Central Division champions would not be Cleveland’s toughest postseason opponent.
Detroit, unbothered by the comments, locked up the Eastern Conference’s top seed and home-court advantage throughout the playoffs.
Pistons’ newly extended head coach J.B. Bickerstaff (who also coached Cleveland from 2020-2024) spoke about the situation back in March and called on the anonymous player to put their name to the quote if they meant what they said.
--> Detroit Pistons lock in head coach J.B. Bickerstaff ahead of Eastern Conference semifinals vs. Cavs