For most of the season, the Detroit Pistons have had a stranglehold on the Eastern Conference.
They started the year on fire, winning 15 of their first 17 games to grab control of the one seed almost immediately. They've held onto it ever since, never losing more than two games in a row until last week.
The Boston Celtics got off to a slow start, going 5-7 to begin the year as they adjusted to life without Jayson Tatum. They've been steadily gaining ground on Detroit over the last four months, however, surging into the second seed in the Eastern Conference.
The Pistons have hit a speed bump in March, allowing the Celtics to close the gap. Detroit has lost its last four games -- its longest losing streak of the season.
The Celtics have been closing the gap on the Pistons atop the Eastern Conference through the last six games 👀
Boston is now only 2.5 games back from Detroit 🍿 pic.twitter.com/eifLQEzaze
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) March 9, 2026
Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff recently said he's not worried about Boston, but should he be?
The Celtics are playing their best basketball of the season. They just got Jayson Tatum back on Friday, have won 14 of their last 17 and are now favored to win the East.
Entering play on Monday, Boston is just 2.5 games behind Detroit with 18 to play -- plenty of time to make a run and pass them with a strong finish.
That said, the odds are against the Celtics. They have a pretty tough schedule remaining and no games left against the Pistons. Detroit also holds the tiebreaker after winning the season series with Boston.
While catching the Pistons would be nice, the Celtics would probably be better off playing for the two seed. They'll want to rest some guys own the stretch and avoid pushing Tatum too hard before the playoffs start.
Detroit might be running out of gas after its fast start, however, whereas Boston is hitting its stride with Tatum back. That could open the door for the Celtics to steal the one seed if they really go for it, so time will tell how Joe Mazzulla decides to handle the next few weeks.
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