Auburn Hills — Now is no time to exhale.
Take a deep breath and get some rest, maybe. Stan Van Gundy gave his team the weekend off to do just that, in fact.
But now that the Pistons finally have made it, clinching their first playoff berth in seven years Friday night with a 112-99 victory over the Washington Wizards at The Palace of Auburn Hills, they’d do well to remember they’ve hardly made it yet.
And as Van Gundy keeps reminding everyone, especially his team, the size of the achievement can get lost — and quickly — amid all the sighs of achievement.