DETROIT – Little Caesars Arena was already buzzing well before tip-off Tuesday night.
Hours before the Detroit Pistons faced the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 1 of the second round of the NBA Playoffs, fans packed the plaza outside LCA for a free Fan Fest, for ticketholders and those without tickets who wanted to be part of the atmosphere.
Fan fest open to everyone
“We’re looking for a high-energy crowd tonight starting at 4 p.m. in the plaza for Fan Fest that’s open,” said Nathan Brecht, director of game presentation for the Pistons.
Brecht is the man behind the curtain when it comes to keeping the energy high on game night, and Tuesday’s atmosphere was no exception.
“They call it home court advantage for a reason, so it’s very important our fans are loud all night long,” Brecht said. “Trying to drive that for our team and make it as raucous as we can for the Cavs.”
‘All Dawg’ spirit inside the arena
For fans heading inside, the Pistons had a little something extra waiting for them.
“We’re striping out the arena with two different ‘All Dawg’ T-shirts for all the fans,” Brecht said.
The “All Dawg” rallying cry has become a signature phrase for Pistons faithful, a battle cry that gets the crowd fired up and signals Detroit’s toughness heading into the postseason.
Fans ready to ride with Detroit
Pistons fan Krista Koors made the trip out on Tuesday (May 5), fired up and ready.
“We’re bringing that Detroit vs. Everyone spirit tonight,” Koors said, who also went to Game 2, the playoff game last year. “We love supporting our boys.”
And the confidence around the plaza was contagious.
One fan summed up the night’s outlook simply.
“It’s probably going to be a hard-fought match, but we gone pull it off,” the fan said.
Copyright 2026 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit – All rights reserved.