Hoops Habit
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NBA Teams Making the Postseason Hunt Interesting

By Maxwell Ogden

Feb 19, 2016; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Wizards guard John Wall (2) shoots the ball as Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond (0) and Pistons guard Reggie Jackson (1) defend in the third quarter at Verizon Center. The Wizards won 98-86. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 19, 2016; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Wizards guard John Wall (2) shoots the ball as Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond (0) and Pistons guard Reggie Jackson (1) defend in the third quarter at Verizon Center. The Wizards won 98-86. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mar 21, 2016; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Reggie Jackson (right) talks to center Andre Drummond (0) after the game against the Milwaukee Bucks at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Pistons win 92-91. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 21, 2016; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Reggie Jackson (right) talks to center Andre Drummond (0) after the game against the Milwaukee Bucks at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Pistons win 92-91. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports /

Detroit Pistons

Record: 37-34

Last 10: 6-4

Current Seed: No. 9

Current Streak: Won 3

The Detroit Pistons recently won a game at the buzzer on an Andre Drummond tip-in. That’s the type of confidence-building victory that could propel a team to the type of push required for the Pistons to overcome their divisional foes and make the playoffs.

At this current juncture, Detroit trails the Chicago Bulls by a single win percentage point for the No. 8 seed, and the Indiana Pacers by half a game for the No. 7 seed.

The question is, can Detroit seal the gap?

Detroit will play Chicago on April 2, and that game will go a long way towards deciding which team makes the playoffs. A Pistons win would earn the season tiebreak over the Bulls, which may come into play given how close this race currently is.

Having lost the season series to the Pacers, it’s now on the Pistons to win and control their own destiny—something plays like this are helping them do.

Stan Van Gundy has an excellent track record when it comes to winning games and making the playoffs. He had a career winning percentage of .610 entering 2015-16, has a record of 48-39 in the playoffs, and has Detroit at 37-34 with 11 games remaining this season.

Considering Detroit has already increased its win total by five from 2014-15, it’s safe to say that betting against Detroit would be unwise.

Next: Eastern Conference, No. 3