Whenever the Indiana Pacers take the court against the Detroit Pistons, things are always a little bit different. At least, they are for me – a Pacers fan living in the heart of Metro Detroit and in the shadow of the now-demolished Palace at Auburn Hills.
Living in a city where sports memories – and grudges – run deep (to this day, people still have beef with my takes on the Malice at the Palace), I always want my Blue and Gold to beat the Pistons. Even still, not everyone sees this matchup as a true rivalry – including Tyrese Haliburton, who said there needs to be a playoff matchup to reignite the intensity.