Detroit Pistons: Tank alert! 3 things to watch in important game vs. Houston
The Detroit Pistons and Houston Rockets are two bad teams about to play a very important game.
After starting the season with title aspirations, the Houston Rockets traded away James Harden and are now in the midst of a free fall that can only be described as pathetic.
The Rockets have lost 18 games in a row (yes, you read that correctly) and are now in a virtual tie with the Detroit Pistons for the second-worst record in the NBA.
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The Orlando Magic are on a nine-game skid themselves and creeping towards the bottom of the standings, so this game between Houston and Detroit has a lot of implications when it comes to draft order.
The bottom three teams in the lottery all get the same odds, so if Detroit wants to maximize their chances, they have to stay in that group, which means not winning a bunch of meaningless games down the stretch in a season that has already been written off to the rebuild.
This is a must-lose game for the Pistons, but that is just one thing to watch when they take on the Rockets.
Detroit Pistons vs. Houston Rockets: The return of Christian Wood
The Pistons will get some help in their quest to lose, as Christian Wood will be returning to the Rockets’ lineup after missing time to injury.
The Rockets just traded away veteran PJ Tucker, so the return of Wood is a welcome one for them and for Pistons’ fans who are hoping the Rockets might win another game this season.
The Pistons have been the anti-Rockets, losing competitively but actually trying, which has not been happening in the Lone Star State.
Wood had 21 points and nine rebounds in his first game back against the Warriors and hopefully his return to the starting lineup will bolster Houston’s chances of winning.
Pistons’ fans may be loathe to see Wood put up a huge game against his former team but for the sake of the tank, I hope he goes off.