Winners of three straight, the Detroit Pistons (14-6) will look to extend their streak tonight against the Washington Wizards (11-10) in the nation’s capital. It’s the second meeting of the season between the two. Washington won the first contest 115-111 back on Oct. 20. But a lot has changed since then.
Following Wednesday night’s 131-107 thrashing of the Phoenix Suns, the Detroit Pistons are set to begin a four-game road trip tonight. First up, John Wall and the Washington Wizards.
Wall was one of three Wizards who scored at least 20 points in their 115-111 win over the Pistons back in late October. The four-time All Star finished with 26 points (8 for 12 shooting) and 10 assists. Small forward Otto Porter (28 points) and shooting guard Bradley Beal (25 points) dominated as off-the-ball scoring threats.
In a game that featured 12 lead changes, the Pistons had a chance to tie it with 14 seconds remaining. But a Reggie Jackson layup was blocked by Wall, and Porter quickly grabbed the rebound.
The Pistons have since established themselves as one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference. Washington, meanwhile, has been largely inconsistent – losing five of their last seven games.
Detroit has also adjusted their offensive game-plan since that first meeting against the Wizards. They’ve lessened their reliability on the Jackson-Andre Drummond pick and roll as of late. Instead, they’re running a motion offense that emphasizes passing and ball movement.
To be clear, Jackson still runs the show. That hasn’t changed. He intiates the offense, and his decisions indicate the strategy for each possession. The 27-year-old is averaging 15.8 points and 5.9 assists per game while shooting 47 percent from the floor.
Jackson’s willingness to pass has been a welcome sight for Pistons fans. It’s helped Tobias Harris blossom into Detroit’s go-to scorer. An increase in ball movement has also opened up clean looks for Jackson. He’s shooting 39 percent from beyond the arc.
The Wizards are in the top half of the league when it comes to defensive rating, allowing just 106.1 points per 100 possessions. But they’ve allowed at least 100 points in each of their last three losses. In all but two of their wins, the Pistons have passed the century mark.