The Pistons stayed alive with a win on Wednesday night and once again they’re facing a must-win playoff game Friday night.
And just a heads up for 2027: your March Madness brackets for next year may already be busted.
For more on those stories and other sports news, Michigan Public commentator John U. Bacon joined Morning Edition host Doug Tribou.
Doug Tribou: The Pistons needed a big performance from their star, Cade Cunningham, in Game 5 against Orlando and they got it. Cunningham had 45 points breaking a Pistons playoff record set by Dave Bing in 1968. What got your attention in Game 5?
John U. Bacon: Look, he's had a miserable playoff so far. He had to come through. And boy he came through, obviously, in spades. There's no question about that. Keep in mind he also set a record previously [in the series] for the most turnovers in the playoffs in a three-game period. He averaged eight per game. So that was pretty bad. But that's also on his teammates.
This also exposes though that you've got one true star on this team, Cade Cunningham, and a supporting staff which is usually pretty good, but kind of goes up and down. And it certainly has during the playoffs. Tobias Harris got 23 points on Wednesday and that took some heat off Cade Cunningham. Play like that has been essential. And J.B. Bickerstaff's defensive emphasis has again paid off.
The Pistons have not won a playoff series since beating Orlando in the NBA Eastern Conference semifinal round in 2008.
DT: I want to read you off some stats from forward Ausar Thompson in the Pistons' win. He had five steals, two blocked shots, and 15 rebounds. He's not much of a scorer but also had six points along the way. Those stats do not make splashy headlines, but they do often make the difference in these tight playoff series.
JUB: Those are the kind of stats that a smart coach — and J.B. Bickerstaff certainly is — really loves. So Ausar Thompson truly came through.
DT: Let's turn to baseball. During a loss to Atlanta on Tuesday, the Tigers also lost not one, but two key players to injuries. Pitcher Casey Mize is now on the 15-day injured list with a groin injury. Javier Báez sprained his ankle on an awkward slide into first base. He's on the 10-day injured list. And they are not alone. John, how much of a setback is all of this?
JUB: Quite a setback. And let's throw another one in here, Justin Verlander. He's been on the 15-day disabled list for 25 days. Do that math. Probably not a good sign in itself. But he's coming back. He'll be back relatively soon. He's 43 years old. And, Doug, I had an insider tell me that as you age, you get injured more.
DT: [Laughs] I'd like to hear a second source on that.
JUB: [Laughs] Well, we'll look into that. My son tells me — he's ten years old — that when you have two of your starting four pitchers out, that is not good. But it is April and they're still about .500, so they're still okay.
The NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament began in 1939 with eight teams. There were expansions in 1951 and 1975, and another in 1985, when it reached 64 teams. Opening round games were added in 2001 and 2011 to bring the field to 68.
DT: According to multiple reports, the NCAA is planning to expand the number of teams in March Madness. Under the new structure, there would be 76 teams in both the men's and women's basketball tournaments. Right now, there are 68 teams. Four of those play in opening games to fill the last spots in the field of 64.
In the new system, there would reportedly be 24 teams playing in that opening round to finalize the field for the familiar 64-team bracket. What's going on here, John?
JUB: Well, Doug, you might recall my theory, of course, that greed is undefeated. That theory is also undefeated, by the way. So, this is just abject greed. It's all it is. The fans do not want this. Sixty-four was a great number. Then they got 68. This is just for money. And it's also for gambling because that first weekend gets a whole lot of gambling action as well.
DT: The push here is in part from the Power 5 conferences, who are demanding more at-large bids in the tournament. Can you explain what's going on there?
JUB: Yeah. The problem is that Big Ten [for example], they might have eight or nine of their 18 teams in the tournament. But again, that's not enough. As Monty Burns of The Simpsons cartoon once said, "Yes, but, you know, I'd trade it all for a little more."
DT: [Laughs]
JUB: And that's what they're always doing. They just want more. So what's going to happen is the MAC schools, like Eastern Michigan, Western Michigan and so on, they're going to get squeezed out even more. And you're going to have more Big Ten, ACC, Southeastern Conference teams, and so on. In other words, fewer Cinderellas and more Goliaths. I'm mixing metaphors there on that one. [Laughs] But it's not what people want either way.
Editor's notes: Some quotes in this article have been lightly edited for length and clarity. You can play the audio of the full interview near the top of this page.
