Crowds will be heading to Little Caesars Arena to watch the Detroit Pistons take on the Orlando Magic in Game 2 of their first-round Eastern Conference playoff matchup.
Sunday’s Game 1 didn’t go as planned, and fans are hoping Wednesday will be different.
It’s now been 11-straight games and 18 years since Pistons fans saw Detroit win a playoff game on their home court, but they’re hoping beating the Magic on Wednesday can make that streak disappear.
“Thinking about it just makes me really emotional. It would mean a lot. That’s why I came here,” said Pistons fan from Korea, Tom Hur.
The only person to travel further than Hur to see the Pistons break their 11-game home playoff win drought is an Australian known as Pistons Jack.
“I’m from Melbourne, Australia. Quite literally one of the furthest places away you can be from Detroit,” Jack Kelly said.
He’s actually seen all four playoff games at Little Caesars Arena during the 2025 and 2026 seasons, but he’s yet to see a win.
“If they can get a win tonight. I just want to run around the concourse with Pistons fans and be hype,” he said.
Earnell Craighead is among those home-grown Pistons fans who will be in the building, with his son, hoping for that very outcome.
“My son, he hasn’t seen a Pistons playoff game ever. This is my son’s first playoff game, so he feels like the good luck charm to see the Pistons win a home playoff game tonight,” he said.
Chazz Owens didn’t grow up a Pistons fan, being from Virginia, but he is one now, especially after his fashion brand collaborated with the team.
“After the first collab and the love, and people were coming to the game just to buy hats, I just loved the culture. Definitely became a Detroit fan for sure,” said Twozzday founder Chazz Owens. “It makes people kind of appreciate it more. The fact that they didn’t win game one — now everybody’s woken up. Definitely excited to see how it’s going to turn out.”