The Detroit Pistons head to New Orleans tonight in need of a win against the Pelicans.
The Pistons have lost two straight, one to the lowly Wizards (who then beat the Nuggets) and a contentious game against the OKC Thunder in which Cade Cunningham was ejected for showing the ref how to do his job properly.
Yes, Cunningham needs to keep his cool, but it would be nice for the officials to know how to orchestrate a free-throw lineup and to not try to make the game about themselves, which is what happened against the Thunder. I’m sure the paying fans were happy not to see Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Cade Cunningham go head-to-head in the 4th because a ref got his feelings hurt after making a mistake.
JB Bickerstaff rightfully lambasted the officials after the game, so it will be interesting if there is any kind of response tonight in New Orleans.
The Pistons have been lucky to get some help from below, as the Hawks have also lost two straight after winning four in a row and starting to look like a threat.
Detroit still has a five-game cushion over Atlanta and 5.5 over Orlando, who beat the red-hot Cavaliers last night. With the Pistons having one of the toughest remaining schedules in the NBA, every game is going to matter and Detroit can’t afford to drop another one against a beat-up team.
Pistons injuries vs. Pelicans: Is Zion Williamson playing tonight?
The Pistons still have just Jaden Ivey on their injury report, and he’ll be evaluated in another four weeks to see if there is a chance of a return this season.
If he continues to progress, there is a slight chance he’ll return in some kind of role in the playoffs, but the Pistons have to get there first and those chances increase the further they get.
New Orleans has had more injuries than just about any team in the NBA and will be without the services of Dejounte Murray, Herb Jones and Brandon Boston for sure.
They also have Zion Williamson, Yves Missi and Kelly Olynyk listed as questionable. Zion is on the report for personal reasons, so who knows if he will play tonight, which has been a common theme of his career.
There has been some clamor among Pistons fans about the possibility of trading for Zion in the offseason, but Trajan Langdon will be reminded tonight (not that he needs it) exactly why that is a terrible idea.
How to watch Pistons vs. Pelicans
The game in the Big Easy will tip off at 8:00 PM ET, which will give fans plenty of time to enjoy Paddy’s Day before the game.
It will be shown on FanDuel Sports Network Detroit or you can listen on 97.1 FM The Ticket or try one of the many streaming options.