The Detroit Pistons got a business-like win against the Brooklyn Nets on the road last night behind a team effort and some timely buckets from Tobias Harris, Cade Cunningham and Malik Beasley.
They won’t get much time to enjoy it, as they are right back at it tonight against the LA Lakers in a game the Pistons have been set up to lose.
They will be on the second game of a back-to-back, while the Lakers haven’t played since Friday afternoon and will be on full rest. Historically, this is not unusual, as the Pistons have had considerably more back-to-back games than the Lakers over the last 20 years.
LA is 4-2 and playing well behind new coach JJ Redick and MVP-like efforts from Anthony Davis, so this is one the Pistons aren’t supposed to win.
I always circle these types of games on the calendar, as it’s the type of game that can shift the momentum of a season if the Pistons can get an unexpected victory.
After the Lakers, the Pistons have a string of three winnable games, two of which are at home, so if they can pull off the upset tonight it could be a nice boost to their confidence and momentum.
I also hate LA, so it’s always good to beat the Lakers. Here is all of the information you will need.
Pistons vs. Lakers injury report: Will Anthony Davis play tonight?
Nothing has changed for the Detroit Pistons, who are still missing Ausar Thompson and Bobi Klintman.
Thompson's absence has certainly been felt, as the Pistons lack perimeter defenders even though Tim Hardaway Jr. and Malik Beasley have been giving effort and setting a nice example for the young players.
The Lakers have a slew of players on their injury report, including Christian Wood, Jarred Vanderbilt and Christian Koloko, who are all ruled out.
Austin Reaves and Anthony Davis are listed as probable and D’Angelo Russell is listed as questionable for tonight’s game in Little Caesar’s Arena.
How to watch Pistons vs. Lakers
Tonight’s 7:30 PM ET tip-off will be televised on FanDuel Sports Network Detroit and aired on 97.1 FM The Ticket.
You can find all of your streaming options here and there are some new ones this season, including Amazon, Hulu and YouTube TV if you live in Detroit and NBA League Pass is blacked out.
Given they are on tired legs, we may see coach JB Bickerstaff extend the rotation slightly and find ways to get Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey a little extra rest.
If Detroit turns the ball over and fouls like they did last night, they will be in for a long night, as Anthony Davis will wear them out at the free-throw line.
This will be Detroit’s second back-to-back of the young season after already playing one against the Cavaliers and Celtics, the top two teams in the Eastern Conference.