Game day info: Detroit Pistons need more from supporting cast in Memphis

The struggling Detroit Pistons are in Memphis on the second night of back-to-back scheduled road games. Both teams desperately need a win right now.

The Detroit Pistons are looking for just about anything to go right as of now. They’ve lost their last three games and all have been ugly.

The Indiana Pacers blew their doors off and didn’t look competent in any facet of the game. A defensive lapse in the final second against the Orlando Magic resulted in losing at the buzzer thanks to Evan Fournier.

Last night, the Pistons lost by 23 on the road to the Milwaukee Bucks. They allowed Milwaukee to shoot 70 percent from the field in the first half of that game.

This team desperately needs a win. They’re just a half game ahead of the Brooklyn Nets for that final playoff spot in eastern conference.

The Memphis Grizzlies are also a team that desperately needs a win. They’ve dropped their last two and are now at the .500 mark. They’re also two games behind the San Antonio Spurs for the final playoff spot in the west.

For the Pistons, it’s simple. They need more from their supporting cast. No one has been able to consistently put together meaningful or game-altering performances.

Luke Kennard and Reggie Bullock need to be those two shooters that can support Blake Griffin and Andre Drummond by spacing the floor.

Langston Galloway and Stanley Johnson need to step up their game while Ish Smith is sidelined from the second unit.

We could be in for a slow, grind-it-out type of game tonight.

The Grizzlies have the worst pace in the league and struggle to score much like the Pistons do.

However, they are one of the better teams on the defensive side of the ball. They only give up 102 points a game which is second in the league.

They’re also sixth in steals and second in blocked shots per game.

Injury report

The Pistons are without a few players in their rotation.

Stanley Johnson sat out of their game last night with an undisclosed injury and is listed as day-to-day in the report.

Ish Smith (groin) is set to be re-evaluated next week which is good news for the Pistons. Their struggles as a team dates back to Smith’s injury. He’s a major key to that second unit and they need him to get moving back in the right direction.

The Pistons are also without Henry Ellenson (ankle).

The Grizzlies are almost a completely healthy team right now. However, they’ve been without one major piece this season.

Chandler Parsons (knee) has been out since October and is now saying he’s healthy and looking forward to getting back on the court. He’s still listed as day-to-day on the report.

Game day Information:

• TV: Fox Sports Detroit
• Radio: 97.1 FM (Pistons radio affiliates)
• When: 8:00 p.m. ET
• Where: FedEx Forum (Memphis, TN)