Three things to watch for: Detroit Pistons vs. San Antonio Spurs

The Detroit Pistons are in desperate need of a win tonight at home. They have the San Antonio Spurs in town who are playing some of their best basketball.

The Detroit Pistons will play their second consecutive game at Little Caesars Arena tonight as the San Antonio Spurs come to town.

It will be important for the Pistons to get a win at home tonight.

They play their next four games on the road. The Pistons have lost six out of their last eight games.

They are desperate for a momentum-swinging win. Here are three things to watch for in tonight’s game.

The Pistons playoff chase

Although there is still plenty of time left in the season, it is never too early to start to check on how the Pistons’ playoff pursuit is coming along.

The Pistons have been entrenched in the playoff picture for most of the season. They fell to 9th place in the Eastern Conference after their loss to the Jazz on Saturday night.

At 17-20, the Pistons are now a game behind both the Charlotte Hornets and the surprising Brooklyn Nets.

If this is another season where every game counts in the playoff chase, the Pistons will need to take care of the Spurs on their home court tonight.

Spurs recent play

These two teams are coming off very opposite recent stretches of basketball.

The Spurs have won their last four games, and have beaten some very good teams.

They had a statement win against the Raptors that was similar to the one the Pistons had. Both were revenge games for the Raptors off-season overhaul.

They also have wins against the Celtics and the Clippers, two quality opponents. With the Spurs coming into this game red hot, the Pistons will need to bring a lot of intensity to avoid getting blown out at home.

 DeMar DeRozan vs. Bruce Brown

This is my match-up to watch because of the way Bruce Brown has been playing recently. Brown was moved into the starting lineup, and has been arguably their best defender since then.

He shut down Donovan Mitchell in their game against the Jazz and was one of the main reasons the Pistons were able to keep that game close.

DeMar DeRozan is the best player for San Antonio. Stopping him should be a point of emphasis in the Pistons game plan.

Luckily, the Pistons have a great defender in Brown who should draw the match-up against DeRozan.

How he fares will have a big effect on the outcome of the game.

With those three factors to watch, this should be an entertaining game as long as the Detroit Pistons bring high intensity.

They need a win more than just about any other team in the NBA, and a win against a quality opponent like the Spurs will go a long way towards saving their season.