The Detroit Pistons' recent series loss to the New York Knicks is just the latest in a trail of recent end-of-season disappointments for Detroit sports teams.

The Pistons were up by seven points with 2:35 remaining in a must-win Game 6 against the New York Knicks on May 1 at Little Caesars Arena before Knicks star Jalen Brunson took over. A few minutes later, the Pistons found themselves on the losing end thanks to Brunson's heroics , sending Detroit home for an early summer vacation.

It's not the first time Detroit fans have experienced playoff disappointment after a better-than-expected regular season from their pro teams. In fact, it's not the first time that's happened just this year.

Whether it's the Pistons, Lions , Tigers or Red Wings , all the major professional Detroit sports teams have recently given their fans something to feel sad about at the end of their respective seasons.

Here are the top five Detroit playoff disappointments of the last two years − and yes, we're including the Red Wings, even though they haven't made the playoffs since 2016.

5. Lane Thomas' ALDS grand slam knocks out Tigers - Oct. 12, 2024

In a way, this one shouldn't feel as bad as it does. The Tigers pulled off a historic run after the 2024 trade deadline to make the playoffs, and then disposed of the juggernaut Houston Astros in the wild card series to continue their remarkable season. More than any team on this list, the 2024 Tigers really shouldn't have been in this position.

But they also got so close to advancing before bowing out. With 2024 American League Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal on the mound, the Tigers only needed one more win over the Cleveland Guardians to get to their first ALCS since 2013 . And then one pitch to Lane Thomas , who is arguably Cleveland's worst player so far in 2025, crushed those dreams . Baseball can be cruel sometimes.

4. Red Wings miss playoffs on final day - April 16, 2024

The Red Wings played an exciting game on the final day of the 2023-24 season, scoring a game-tying goal with 3.3 seconds left in regulation and winning an overtime shootout for a 5-4 victory against the Montreal Canadiens .

Too bad they couldn't celebrate the win, because before the game had ended the Washington Capitals had eliminated them from playoff contention with their 2-1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers . The day started with a chance of the Wings breaking their eight-season playoff drought, and ended with the most disappointing type of victory.

What makes it more painful is that the Red Wings had a chance to put themselves in a better position a few days before, but fell to the Capitals 2-1 at home in front of a raucous crowd at Little Caesars Arena. Which, if you needed a reminder, has yet to host a Red Wings playoff game.

3. Lions fall in divisional round to Commanders - Jan. 18, 2025

We can quibble about which of the two Lions' recent playoff losses was more disappointing, and both arguments have merit.

What makes the Lions' divisional round loss to the Washington Commanders especially painful was that it followed arguably the most successful regular season in franchise history. And even if their banged-up roster would have struggled against the eventual Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, surely it could still withstand the wild-card Commanders, right?

Apparently, the answer was no, extending the wait for that elusive Super Bowl appearance for at least another year.

2. Jalen Brunson buries the Pistons - May 1, 2025

Perhaps this ranks so highly because the wound still feels fresh, but there are other reasons why the Pistons' first-round defeat feels so bad.

For one, Detroit genuinely outplayed the No. 3 seed Knicks for most of the series, and potentially were cheated out of a game because of a blown non-call at the end of Game 4.

For another, the Pistons had a seven-point lead with less than three minutes to play on their home floor. All the momentum was on their side.

But mostly, it was just the suddenness of it all. The Pistons had a lead and were ready to pack their bags for a Game 7 in New York, and then a minute later the season was over. The gut punches that come quickly sometimes hurt the most.

1. Lions fall in NFC title game - Jan. 28, 2024

Forget winning the Super Bowl − the Lions don't even know what it's like to have reached a Super Bowl.

The closest they ever came was on Jan. 28, 2024, when they blew a 24-7 halftime lead to the San Francisco 49ers on their way to a 34-31 loss. It was just the second time they had played in a conference title game in the Super Bowl era, the first coming on a 41-10 blowout loss to Washington on Jan. 12, 1992.

And this wasn't the typical "tale of two halves" type of game. The Lions lost a chance at taking on Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs for the Lombardi Trophy because of self-inflicted mistakes, ones that may haunt a franchise that hopes this wasn't their best shot at a Super Bowl title.

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