The first thing the Detroit Pistons need to do after their streak-ending loss to Denver last night is to forget about it.
You have to have a short memory and thick skin to be a pro athlete, so the Pistons can’t linger on all the things that went wrong against the Nuggets, as they have business to take care of tonight.
Getting a split with Boston/Denver is a good outcome, but losing to a team like the Nets is something the Pistons can’t afford, as they have teams creeping up behind them and have the most difficult part of their schedule in front of them.
The Pistons will welcome a familiar face into the arena tonight, as Killian Hayes will be starting for the Nets. It will be interesting to see what kind of response he gets from the crowd.
I am sure there will be plenty of hugs and smiles with his old teammates before the game, but you know Killian would love to stick it to his old team.
Pistons fans should really have no hard feelings with Hayes, so I hope he gets a warm welcome. Things didn’t work out in Detroit, but it’s not as if Killian wanted to be bad, so I expect he’ll get some mixed cheers in the beginning that will turn to boos if he starts to hit shots.
And he might.
Hayes has been quietly effective since being called up from the G-League, averaging 10 points and 5.6 assists on 45 percent from the field and 42 percent from 3-point range. He’s been finishing at the rim with more regularity and does look to be playing with more confidence in the little I’ve seen from him.
We saw those kinds of stretches from Hayes before, and the Pistons should be uniquely positioned to stop him, as they know the formula: Play him tight, make him work and force him into contested shots.
The Pistons can’t let last night’s loss trickle into this one and will need a team effort to start a new streak.
Pistons injuries vs. Nets
Jaden Ivey is still out, but other than that, the Pistons will have their full roster against the Nets. Simone Fontecchio was a little better last night after missing a few games with a hand injury, so it will be interesting to see if he can build off that and start giving the Pistons some effective minutes off the bench.
They could use his scoring, which they haven’t gotten all season, so it would be gravy for the 2nd unit.
The Nets have Noah Clowney, D’Angelo Russell and Dariq Whitehead on their injury report, but it has not been submitted for today yet, so check the official NBA injury report before game time.
How to watch Pistons vs. Nets
You will find the game at the usual place, FanDuel Sports Network Detroit or 97.1 FM The Ticket, though I would encourage all people with common sense and fully functioning frontal lobes to avoid that toxic radio station, one host in particular, who clearly hates the Pistons and has agendas even when they are doing well.
You can steam the game on Amazon Prime if you have the add-on or find other streaming choices here.