The Pistons Just Hit 60 Wins for the First Time Since 2005-06 — And Paul Reed Went 11-for-11 to Do It
Sixty wins. For a franchise that spent the better part of a decade in the basement, those two words carry a weight that only Pistons fans can fully appreciate. On Sunday night in Indianapolis, Detroit made it official — the Pistons beat the Indiana Pacers 133-121 to finish the regular season at 60-22, the top seed in the Eastern Conference, with home-court advantage throughout the playoffs.
It’s the third time in franchise history that Detroit has hit 60 wins, and the first since the 2005-06 season — the tail end of the Going to Work era that produced a championship in 2004 and four consecutive Eastern Conference Finals appearances. That Pistons team featured Chauncey Billups, Rip Hamilton, Ben Wallace, and Rasheed Wallace. This one is built around Cade Cunningham, and the 24-year-old has taken Detroit further than anyone thought possible when the franchise was winning 17 games just three years ago.
Paul Reed Was Perfect — Literally
The story of Sunday’s game was Paul Reed, who turned in one of the most efficient performances of the NBA season. Reed finished with 26 points on 11-of-11 shooting from the field, adding six rebounds, three assists, and three blocks. He also went 4-for-4 from the free-throw line. A perfect night.
Reed’s performance set the tone early. The Pistons raced out to a 21-11 lead and then blew the game open with runs of 13-0 and 9-0 in the second quarter, posting their highest first-half scoring total of the season with 81 points. Detroit shot nearly 70% from both the field and three-point range in the first half, turning an already depleted Pacers team into a shooting gallery.
Tobias Harris added 24 points on 9-of-12 shooting, including 4-of-4 from three, in limited minutes. And Cade Cunningham — the franchise cornerstone — contributed seven points, eight rebounds, and 14 assists, flirting with a triple-double before halftime. The Pistons’ stars all played well, but they also knew when to step off the gas. Starters were pulled early in the second half with the game well in hand and the playoffs four days away.
From 17 Wins to 60 — The Turnaround
The Pistons’ ascent has been the single best story of the 2025-26 NBA season. Just three years ago, Detroit finished 17-65 and appeared hopelessly mired in a rebuild that had no end in sight. Cunningham was battling injuries. The roster was thin. The culture was nonexistent.
Then everything clicked. Cunningham got healthy. The front office made shrewd roster moves. The coaching staff installed a system that maximized Detroit’s length, athleticism, and defensive intensity. And suddenly, the Pistons weren’t just competitive — they were dominant. A 60-22 record in the loaded Eastern Conference is a testament to how quickly things can change in the NBA when the right pieces come together around a franchise player.
Detroit’s reward is a first-round matchup against the winner of the 7/8 play-in game — likely the Orlando Magic or Philadelphia 76ers. Neither should pose a serious threat to a 60-win team playing at home. The real tests come later: the Celtics, Knicks, and Cavaliers are all lurking in the East bracket, and each one is capable of pushing the Pistons to seven games.
