The Detroit Pistons (21-27) look to snap a disappointing three-game skid against the New Orleans Pelicans (19-30).
After surviving a West Coast road trip, the Detroit Pistons returned home on Jan. 18 to begin a pivotal ten-game stretch that included seven home games and six games against sub-.500 teams. After impressive wins against the Atlanta Hawks and Washington Wizards, the Pistons dropped back-to-back losses to the underachieving Sacramento Kings and Miami Heat before falling apart late in the fourth quarter of Monday night’s matchup with the Boston Celtics.
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Six games under .500 is the low water mark for the Pistons this season. But they remain only 1.5 games out of the eighth playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
They’ll have a chance to right the ship against the New Orleans Pelicans, who will be playing their third game in four nights after losing to the Wizards on Sunday and the Toronto Raptors (in overtime) last night.
The Pelicans started the season 2-10 but have played near. 500-level ball since the return of guard Jrue Holliday. They might not have an impressive record, but they’re still dangerous. New Orleans has notched wins over both the Cleveland Cavaliers and the San Antonio Spurs in the last week and a half.
The key to containing New Orleans, of course, is containing Anthony Davis. The last time he was in the Palace, Davis dropped 59 points on the Pistons en route to a 111-106 Pelicans win. In 2016-17, the Brow is averaging 27.8 points per game–fifth best in the NBA.
Andre Drummond led the Pistons with 28 points and 22 rebounds in their recent loss to Boston, and Detroit will need him again against the Pelicans, especially on the glass. Drummond ranks second in league in rebounding, while Davis ranks sixth.
Detroit forward Jon Leuer, who exited the Boston game late in the fourth quarter and received four stitches in his forehead, is probably for tonight’s matchup.
If tonight’s game is a close one, Detroit will have another chance to work out its late-game kinks. Reggie Jackson, the Pistons’ best option in the clutch last season, took two bad shots on Detroit’s final two possessions against the Celtics on Monday. Combined with Boston guard Isiah Thomas‘s fourth quarter heroics, Jackson’s hero ball helped deliver a Celtics win.
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The Pistons have struggled to maintain consistency all season long. Tonight’s matchup with New Orleans presents them with another chance to start turning things around.