Pistons Try and Keep the Pace Against Surging Indiana
By Sham Mohile
After losing seven straight in the beginning of December, the fifth-pace Detroit Pistons look to close out 2017 with a win against the fourth-place Indiana Pacers.
First and foremost, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to Detroit Pistons fans around the world and thank you for reading PistonPowered on a regular basis.
Tonight the Detroit Pistons try to gift the fans who poured into Little Caesars Arena tonight their fourth win in five games and try to steal fourth place from the Indiana Pacers.
In order to win, the Pistons will need to slow down Most Improved Player front-runner, Victor Oladipo. Oladipo is averaging 25.3 points per game with a career-highs in rebounds, steals, and blocks thus far this season. Reggie Bullock will need to try his best to stop the barrage of offense that Oladipo provides.
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In addition, the Pacers have arguably the swaggiest player in the NBA in Lance Stephenson. After several stops around the NBA, Stephenson has found his home again in Indiana and has been electric coming off the bench for the Pacers.
The Pistons have been tinkering with a new starting lineup of late and will likely trot that same squad out once more: Reggie Jackson (barring any last-minute changes): Reggie Jackson, Reggie Bullock, Tobias Harris, Anthony Tolliver, and Andre Drummond.
The Pacers will likely start Darren Collison, Victor Oladipo, Bojan Bogdanovic, Thaddeus Young, and Myles Turner.
Interesting stats:
- The Pacers currently rank sixth in the NBA in offensive rating.
- Reggie Bullock currently ranks in the 89th percentile in overall offense (points per possession).
- Andre Drummond currently ranks first in the NBA in defensive points saved (per NBA Math).
Tonight’s game will be broadcast on Fox Sports Detroit and simulcast on 97.1 The Ticket. Tip-off is slated for 7:00 PM EST.