Detroit Pistons vs Oklahoma City Thunder Picks and Predictions March 15th 2025

First-Place Thunder Vow to Keep Improving, Turn to Face Pistons

The Oklahoma City Thunder have officially clinched a playoff spot, but their focus remains on peaking at the right time as they visit the Detroit Pistons on Saturday.

Thunder Staying Focused After Clinching Playoff Berth

Oklahoma City (54-12) secured its postseason spot with a 118-112 win over the defending champion Boston Celtics on Wednesday, completing a season sweep of one of the NBA’s toughest teams.

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Despite holding a 12-game lead in the Western Conference, the Thunder refuse to get complacent.

“We have a lot to get better at,” star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said. “I hope we get better and are playing way better basketball than we are now.”

Gilgeous-Alexander continues to lead the way, strengthening his MVP case with a 34-point, seven-assist, five-rebound performance in Boston. He’s averaging 32.8 points, 6.2 assists, and 5.1 rebounds while shooting 52.5% from the field this season.

“You play for late June, and (Boston) had won late June. Playing against them is always fun, always a really big challenge,” he said.

Pistons Looking to Bounce Back

Detroit (37-30) has been one of the NBA’s most improved teams but suffered a setback Thursday, losing at home 129-125 to the Washington Wizards just two nights after beating them by 20 points.

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Coach J.B. Bickerstaff criticized his team’s lack of defensive intensity after they allowed 69 first-half points.

“We allowed them to believe that they could. When you give any NBA team belief, on any given night anybody can win,” Bickerstaff said.

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Isaiah Stewart admitted the Pistons overlooked Washington.

“We didn’t take this matchup as serious,” he said. “We allowed them to stay in the game, gave them confidence and that hurt us.”

Marquee Matchup: SGA vs. Cade Cunningham

Saturday’s game features a high-level battle between two of the league’s best young guards—Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Detroit’s Cade Cunningham.

Cunningham has been on fire, averaging 31.7 points and 8.2 assists over his last six games, including a 38-point, 10-assist performance against Washington.

The Thunder will likely be without All-Star forward Jalen Williams due to a hip strain, making Gilgeous-Alexander’s role even more crucial.