Detroit Pistons have unbelievable Pope Francis stat about NBA playoffs

Billy Heyen

Detroit Pistons have unbelievable Pope Francis stat about NBA playoffs image

The timing on this Detroit Pistons-Pope Francis statistic was too unbelievable to ignore.

Yes, we said a Pistons stat about the recently deceased supreme pontiff of the Catholic Church.

Pope Francis led Catholics from the time he was chosen as pope in 2013. A noted soccer fan from Argentina, Francis led the church in a progressive way prior to his passing on Monday.

Here's how the Pistons come in:

In the entirety of Pope Francis' leadership of the Catholic Church, the Pistons didn't win a playoff game.

On Tuesday, the day after Pope Francis moved on to eternity, the Pistons beat the Knicks for their first playoff victory since 2008.

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Since that 2008 win, the Pistons had dropped 15 playoff games in a row.

Obviously, these are not connected events.

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The Catholic Church is in mourning for the passing of its leader.

The Pistons just play a sport halfway across the world from the Vatican.

But it's quite the coincidence that emphasizes just how long it had been since Detroit won in the postseason.

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The Pistons will be hoping not to wait that long this time around. They get to host the Knicks at home holding a lot of momentum after that streak-busting postseason win on Tuesday at Madison Square Garden.

Maybe they can do it again.

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Billy Heyen

Billy Heyen is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. He is a 2019 graduate of Syracuse University who has written about many sports and fantasy sports for The Sporting News. Sports reporting work has also appeared in a number of newspapers, including the Sandusky Register and Rochester Democrat & Chronicle