Are we looking at a first-round playoff preview? Tonight, we could be looking at a matchup between the one seed — the Detroit Pistons — and the eighth seed — the Charlotte Hornets. The Hornets, however, are not your typical eighth seed. They are one of the hottest teams in the East, and they have been since late January. They have shooting all over the floor, plenty of ball handlers, and play a quality team defense. The Detroit Pistons are healthy, so they could treat this game as a serious statement of intention against a potential opponent. Or they could treat it as a bit of a laboratory. Coach JB Bickerstaff has talked about using the season’s final two games to get certain lineup combinations experience on the floor. Chief among them is Kevin Huerter and some of the starters, and Daniss Jenkins playing alongside Cade Cunningham with the other three-person units. They will play to win, but they might also forgo the best potential situational lineup to ensure he can test these lineup combos.

When: 7 p.m. ET
Where: Spectrum Center, Charlotte, North Carolina
Watch: FanDuel Sports Network Detroit
Odds: Pistons +5

Detroit Pistons (58-22)
Cade Cunningham, Duncan Robinson, Ausar Thompson, Tobias Haris, Jalen Duren

Charlotte Hornets (43-37)
LaMelo Ball, Kon Knueppel, Brandon Miller, Miles Bridges, Moussa Diabaté