Blake Griffin, Detroit Pistons take on familiar LA Clippers team

The Detroit Pistons play host to a Los Angeles Clippers team full of familiar faces Friday night. This is the first matchup between these two teams since January 29 trade that brought Blake Griffin to Detroit and sent Tobias Harris, Avery Bradley, and Boban Marjanovic to LA.

Blake Griffin’s old team comes to his new home Friday night. Griffin’s Pistons (27-26) take on the Los Angeles Clippers (27-25) at Little Caesars Arena at 7PM EST on ESPN. This is the first meeting between these two teams since the trade that shocked NBA fans two weeks ago.

The Pistons are boasting a five-game winning streak coming into the game. That is five straight wins since the Griffin trade occurred. The Clippers have won their last two games, but lost their last matchup with the Pistons 95-87 in Los Angeles.

“It’s a game where I really know that team, but we’re trying to get wins, they’re trying to get wins,” Blake Griffin said according to Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press. He is coming off a 25 point performance in Wednesday night’s 115-106 victory over the Brooklyn Nets.

“I’m not the guy to be all buddy-buddy during games. It’s going to be a war,” Griffin said. He will be reuniting with his longtime coach Doc Rivers and longtime teammate DeAndre Jordan.

There will be another reunion Friday night. Tobias Harris, Avery Bradley and Boban Marjanovic will be returning to Detroit for the first time since being traded to LA in the Griffin deal. Harris scored 19 and Bradley scored 12 in the Clippers’ last win against the Dallas Mavericks on Monday. Harris is averaging 21.5 points and 4.5 rebounds since joining the Clippers.

Head coach Stan Van Gundy also added two more pieces to the Pistons’ rotation before the trade deadline Thursday afternoon. Willie Reed went to the Chicago Bulls for Jameer Nelson, and Brice Johnson went to the Memphis Grizzlies for James Ennis.

Nelson will reportedly be available for Friday, but Ennis will not be available until tomorrow.