We’re at the point of the season for the Detroit Pistons that no fan looks forward to: The bitter end.
With just four games remaining, the Pistons have nothing to play for except the league’s worst record and the miniscule chance of not finishing as the worst team in franchise history.
The Pistons would have to win three of the final four to avoid that tag, which unfortunately doesn’t seem to bother any of the players much, as I’ve not heard it mentioned.
The only thing to play for in this game is to let the fringe guys have a go and to possibly play spoiler to the 76ers, who are embroiled in this thing called a playoff race, a foreign concept to Pistons fans lately.
The 76ers are just a game behind the Pacers for the 6th seed and avoiding the play-in tournament, so these last few contests are crucial for Philly. The 76ers have already beaten the Pistons three times this season (and all three last year) and if they get a win tonight, will be the 19th team to sweep Detroit this season, which is just ugly.
But who will be on the court tonight? Any chance the Pistons can avoid their 19th sweep?
Detroit Pistons vs. Philadelphia 76ers injury update
Forget about getting guys off the official injury report, as the Pistons just keep adding more names, this time Evan Fournier, who is listed as probable with the same injury all Pistons’ veterans get late in the season. Strange.
Cade Cunningham is listed as questionable and Simone Fontecchio, Quentin Grimes, Stanley Umude, Isaiah Stewart and Ausar Thompson are all still out. Unless Cade decides to play, it’s doubtful we’ll see any of these players for the remaining four games, a shame considering how little data we’ve gotten from fully healthy roster.
The 76ers will be missing Robert Covington, and De’Anthony Melton, Kyle Lowry, Tobias Harris, Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid are all listed as questionable. Some of these guys are likely to play, but even if they don’t, Philly will still be the favorites, as the Pistons are running out a replacement team that was recently blown out by a Memphis team missing 12 players.