The Detroit Pistons’ turnaround has reached another milestone — they’ve won a playoff game.
Detroit defeated the New York Knicks 97-94 in Game 2 on Monday, securing its first playoff victory since the 2008 Eastern Conference finals.
The Pistons held a 12-point lead in the middle of the fourth quarter, but the Knicks crawled back to tie the game with 1:15 left. Detroit guard Dennis Schroder then connected on a 3-pointer to give the Pistons the lead for good. Cade Cunningham led Detroit with 33 points and 12 rebounds, while Schroder had 20 points.
Heading into Monday, the Pistons had lost the 15 straight playoff games, the longest streak in NBA history, according to ESPN Research. Their last victory came in Game 4 of the East finals against the Boston Celtics.
Here’s what the world looked like the last time the Pistons had won a playoff game: May 26, 2008.
Lakers and Spurs in midst of Western Conference finals
While the Pistons and Boston Celtics battled in the East, the Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs matched up in the West.
The Spurs got in the win column the day before as the Lakers held a 2-1 lead. Tim Duncan led San Antonio with 22 points, 21 rebounds and five assists, while Kobe Bryant led Los Angeles with 30 points.
That marked the lone win of the series for the Spurs, as the Lakers closed it out in five games.
Lil Wayne tops the charts
Lil Wayne was in the midst of his most dominant run the week of the Pistons’ victory. His single, “Lollipop” featuring Static Major, returned to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, four weeks after initially topping the charts. It spent five weeks at No. 1 and 28 total on the Billboard Hot 100.
The track won Best Rap Song at the 51st Grammy Awards, marking his first of four wins that night.
Other songs on the Billboard Hot 100 that week include Rihanna’s “Take A Bow” at No. 3, Usher and Young Jeezy’s “Love In This Club” at No. 4 and Jordin Sparks and Chris Brown’s “No Air” at No. 5.
‘Iron Man’ kicks off Marvel Cinematic Universe
The first film of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, “Iron Man,” released on May 2, 2008. It grossed $98 million in its opening weekend and eventually $585 million total worldwide. The movie was nominated for two awards at the 81st Academy Awards: Visual Effects and Sound Editing.
“Iron Man” kick-started the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the highest grossing film franchise of all time. In 2022, it was selected for preservation by the National Film Registry.
Pistons coaching staff in NBA
Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff has spearheaded Detroit’s turnaround, but his coaching staff is full of former NBA players — including Luke Walton and Jarrett Jack.
Walton was a member of the Lakers during the 2007-08 season, his fifth year in the league. He played in 74 games during the regular season and 21 in the playoffs. Jack was in his third year in the NBA, playing for the Portland Trail Blazers. He averaged 9.9 points on the year.
iPhone less than one year on the market
Apple CEO Steve Jobs announced the first iPhone in early 2007, describing it as “a revolutionary and magical product that is literally five years ahead of any other mobile phone.” The iPhone hit the market in June 2007 and sold 1 million devices in only 74 days.
Two weeks after the Pistons’ win, Apple announced the iPhone 3G, which introduced the App Store.
Source: espn.com