The Detroit Pistons will complete their Western Conference road trip tonight in Denver, looking for their 4th straight win.
They’ve lost three straight to the Nuggets and haven’t beaten them since 2022, but this game potentially represents a much longer piece of history.
The Pistons haven’t won four-straight road games against the West since 2006, so this year’s resurgent team is trying for something that hasn’t been done since Chauncey Billups was making All-Star teams for Detroit.
The Pistons should have a new All-Star this year, as Cade Cunningham has been great and may even have a shot at All-NBA if he can stay healthy for the rest of the season.
With a four-game homestand coming up after this game, a win would be a huge momentum-builder for Detroit. Here is the latest injury report, how to watch and the keys to the game.
Pistons injuries vs. Nuggets: Who will be guarding Nikola Jokic?
The Pistons got some good news, as center Isaiah Stewart has been upgraded to probable for tonight’s game against the Nuggets, so they will have another body to throw against Jokic.
The Nuggets have injuries of their own, as forward Aaron Gordon has been ruled out along with Vlatko Cancar and DaRon Holmes II.
Denver’s already thin depth is being further tested with Gordon out and is something the Pistons might be able to exploit.
How to watch Pistons vs. Nuggets
The 9:00 PM ET tip-off will be aired on FanDuel Sports Network Detroit or you can listen on 97.1 FM The Ticket.
Streaming options are here for those without cable.
Pistons keys vs. Nuggets
The Pistons can’t fall behind early, something that has been happening regularly of late and may force JB Bickerstaff into some adjustments of his starting five, namely swapping Tim Hardaway Jr. for Ausar Thompson.
The Pistons need to try and play fast off stops and just keep coming at the older Nuggets, who are on short rest after losing to the Cavaliers last night. Jamal Murray played 40 minutes in the loss, so the Pistons need to go at him early and often to make him defend.
They also need to hound him with Ausar Thompson all night and make it miserable for him. If I were coach Bickerstaff, I’d have a guard picking up Murray full court on every play to see if they can wear him down and force a tough shooting night.
The Pistons have taken care of the ball during this streak, averaging just 11.7 turnovers over the last three games. They’ve also pulled down 10 offensive rebounds per game, two things that will be key tonight.
The Pistons have to limit second chances, play physical and fast (when they can) and take care of the ball and they have a good chance to head home on a four-game winning streak.