With the Orlando Magic and Miami Heat both losing last night, the Detroit Pistons woke up in the 7th seed in the Eastern Conference.
The Pistons are now just a half game behind the Atlanta Hawks for the 6th seed and two games behind the Pacers for the 5th, so a win against Atlanta tonight would put the Pistons back in the playoff picture and they’ll get a shot at Indiana in a week.
Considering there are four teams lumped within a half game of each other, these standings are going to change daily, so all the Pistons can do is keep winning, especially when playing teams in the 5-9 range in the East.
This will also be a chance for Cade Cunningham to continue to build his All-Star resume, as he’ll be taking on another possible All-Star guard in Trae Young.
They are putting up similar numbers, though Cade is scoring more points on better shooting splits and is 10 miles ahead of Young as a defender. Young is leading the NBA in assists, while Cunningham is third overall.
There isn’t much between them in the numbers, so it could come down to team record and head-to-head matches for some voters. The All-Star starters will be announced tomorrow, so it’s a bit late in the game, but Cade can strengthen his case with a win and another big game tonight, not as a starter (those are locked) but as a possible reserve if the scenario presents itself.
Pistons injuries vs. Hawks: Is Trae Young playing?
The Pistons will be missing Jaden Ivey again, who is set to be re-evaluated in a little over a week. So far, the Pistons are acting as if he’ll return, as they haven’t used their injury exception or added other players, but we’ll know more soon.
As for the Hawks, they could be missing a load of players, including Trae Young who is listed as probable with an injury to his Achilles.
Jalen Johnson is listed as day-to-day and Zaccharie Risacher, Larry Nance Jr., Cody Zeller and Kobe Bufkin have all been ruled out for tonight’s game in Atlanta.
Both Nance and Johnson had big games in the last meeting between these two teams (a one-point win for the Pistons) and the Hawks will feel their absence tonight.
Ausar Thompson didn’t play in the first matchup, so it will be interesting to see him battle with fellow defensive savant Dyson Daniels.
How to watch Pistons vs. Hawks
Tonight’s 7:30 PM ET tip-off in Atlanta will be aired on FanDuel Sports Network Detroit or you can listen on 97.1 The Ticket.
You can find convenient streaming options here or just keep stealing it, as the NBA hasn’t figured out that the reason their ratings are down is because they make it difficult for local fans to stream the games. Stick it to them until they figure it out, I say.