The Detroit Pistons took an exciting and youthful loss to the Dallas Mavericks that turned out to be huge.
Both the Rockets and Timberwolves won last night, which dropped the Pistons to the 2nd-worst record in the NBA.
The bottom three teams all have the same odds to stay in the top-four or get the number one pick overall, so the Pistons just need to stay where they are to maximize their odds.
With nine games remaining, there is still a lot of time for movement, but ultimately two games might decide the lottery odds for the Detroit Pistons.
Detroit Pistons: What are the Pistons’ lottery odds?
The Pistons are currently the second-worst team in the NBA, which gives them a 52.1 percent chance at at top-four pick and a 14 percent chance at the number one pick.
The Pistons haven’t had much lottery luck in the last few DECADES, so fans are hoping this will finally turn around. While dropping to fourth would decrease their odds slightly, it wouldn’t be the end of the world, so the Pistons are looking to be in good shape depending on how these last nine games go.
Two in particular will be important.
Detroit Pistons’ Schedule: Most important games for lottery odds
Of the Pistons’ nine games, six are against teams they are unlikely to beat. They have two remaining against the 8th-seed Hornets, who will be battling for their playoff lives.
They also have games agains the Grizzlies, 76ers, Nuggets and Heat, all teams who are fighting for playoff positioning and aren’t likely to be resting their stars.
They have a game against the Bulls that could go either way, as the Bulls are trying to get to the play-in games and are chasing the suddenly red-hot Wizards.
That leaves two games, one of which is against the Magic and one against the Timberwolves, the two teams just behind the Pistons in the overall standings.
If the Pistons win one or two of the other seven and lose both games to the Magic and Wolves, they should be in good shape to stay in the bottom three.
A lot of things could shift in these last nine games, so fans are hoping to continue to see well-played, competitive play that ends in a loss.