If you are into the narrative ebbs and flows of an NBA season, the Detroit Pistons are about to embark on the two biggest games of their season — road tests versus the Brooklyn Nets and Miami Heat.
Those two teams possess the two immediate spots below the Pistons in the Eastern Conference standings, and represent the two last playoff teams if the season entered today. With wins, Detroit can punch its ticket. Lose, however, and Detroit risks sliding to the bottom of the standings or even out of the playoffs entirely.