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CRITICAL: In nearly a winner-take-all showdown, Pistons outlast Bulls in a slugfest

(Editor’s note: The Pistons snapped a six-year playoff drought and improved by 12 wins over Stan Van Gundy’s debut season, finishing 44-38. We’ve identified the five most significant wins – significant for a variety of reasons – and have reviewed them over the course of the week. Today: A virtual winner-take-all game on the road against an old division rival.)

When the NBA schedule came out in August, the Pistons knew that if they were to snap the franchise’s six-year playoff drought they likely would need to take advantage of a rare nine-game home stand that stretched from mid-March to early April.

They began it by coming off of a most humbling loss – a 43-point crusher at Washington on March 14 that left them with a 34-33 record and in the No. 9 playoff position in the East. Chicago, with a 33-32 record, was in the No. 8 spot – tied with the Pistons but ahead by percentage points.

The teams had one more meeting with each other, April 2 at Chicago – the game after the Pistons had completed their nine-game home stand. It was already clear: The East’s final playoff berth might very well come down to a winner-take-all battle at the United Center between two division rivals with a bitter history. For the Pistons, this was the season’s most...

CRITICAL WIN