Game preview: Crumbling Detroit Pistons visit New York Knicks

The Detroit Pistons begin a do-or-die stretch of four games in five nights tonight when they visit the New York Knicks. Although recent play points to the fact that the Pistons may have already packed it in.

The nosediving Detroit Pistons (34-39) are on the road tonight as they take on the New York Knicks (27-46). This is the final game of what has been a disastrous four-game road trip for the Pistons.

Detroit has lost six of their last seven games as they crumble down the stretch, including three in a row in particularly heinous fashion.

First came the loss at the buzzer to the NBA-worst Brooklyn Nets, a game they had to claw their way back in to in the final minutes, no less. Then came two no-contest blowouts against Chicago and Orlando. The Pistons, who started Ish Smith over Reggie Jackson in those last two, were outscored 232-182 by the Bulls and Magic.

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Detroit currently sits in 10th place in the Eastern Conference. And despite their best efforts to throw the season away (they were in the seventh spot just 15 days ago), the postseason window remains as open as ever.

With nine games remaining, the Pistons are just one game back of Miami and the 8th spot, and they happen to play the Heat at the Palace tomorrow night. Furthermore, they are only 3.0 games out of fifth place in the East, so a lot can change between now and April 12th, the final day of the regular season.

And the opportunity for Detroit to be bringers of that change starts tonight. This game against the Knicks kicks off a stretch of four games in five nights, all against beatable opponents in New York, Miami, Brooklyn and Milwaukee.

But the issue is that the team’s play of late inspires little hope that they snap out of this funk and turn things around.

Over their last seven games, of which they have lost six, the Pistons have been one of the worst teams in the league. During that stretch, they’re scoring a lowly 94.2 points per 100 possessions, an offensive rating that ranks dead last in the NBA. They are also giving up 109.2 points per 100 possessions during that seven-game timetable. For reference, on the season as a whole, the league-worst Los Angeles Lakers give up 111.1 points per 100 possessions.

If anything can stop Detroit’s season from continuing to go down in flames, it starts with a get-right game against the Knicks. New York has also been reeling of late, having lost five games in a row and eight of their last nine.

Part of that is the fact that the Knicks are packing it on the season, doing what they can to give themselves a better chance in the upcoming lottery. Carmelo Anthony has sat out the team’s last two games with what they are calling “knee soreness,” and his status for tonight is murky.

New York will also be without Joakim Noah, who has been out since early February with an injury and was suspended 20 games for violating the league’s anti-drug program last week. The status of Lance Thomas, starter of 15 games this season for these Knicks, is up in the air as well for tonight as well. He’s missed their last two games with a hip issue.

The Pistons, meanwhile, will have their whole team intact. While we know Tobias Harris will start as he has for the past nine games, Stan Van Gundy wouldn’t commit to Smith starting over Jackson when asked yesterday.

Despite the Knicks’ terribleness, Detroit has lost three straight against sub-.500 teams and is a lowly 11-25 on the road. So, we’ll see if the dumpster fire keeps burning or if the Pistons decide to show some signs of fight down the stretch.

Next: How should Detroit Pistons evaluate this season?

Detroit and New York tip off at 7:30 p.m. ET tonight from Madison Square Garden.

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