When the Detroit Pistons take on the Atlanta Hawks tonight there won't be much at stake except pride.
The Pistons are trying to avoid being the worst team in franchise history, and are now 1.5 games behind the Washington Wizards in the battle for the worst record in the NBA. Barring a miracle, the Pistons will achieve both dubious marks but players like Cade Cunningham are still playing for pride and future paychecks.
The Atlanta Hawks are 35-40 and somehow have a six-game cushion for the final play-in spot, so there isn't much at stake for them in this one either. The Hawks have won 5-of-6 behind a brilliant run from Dejounte Murray that has to have their front office wondering if they'd better off trading Trae Young, who is currently out with an injury.
There will be plenty of players on the official injury list tonight, as the Pistons continue to shut players down in a lost season.
Detroit Pistons vs. Atlanta Hawks: Injury update
Both Cade Cunningham and Marcus Sasser are questionable for tonight's game. Cade seems determined to play out the season and has been on a 3-game tear himself, averaging over 33 points per game in that stretch.
The Pistons will continue to be without Ausar Thompson, Isaiah Stewart, Stanley Umude, Taj Gibson and Simone Fontecchio and recently ruled Quentin Grimes out for the season.
In some ways, Grimes' injury has made one of Detroit's offseason decisions easier, as there is no way they can extend him after he only played six games for the Pistons. You have to wonder how serious his injury is and whether it will require surgery.
The Hawks will be missing Trae Young, Saddiq Bey, Onyeka Okongwu, AJ Griffin and Mouhamed Gueye, though they've been playing well anyway, particularly Murray, Bogdanovic and Capela.
The Pistons need to win at least three of their last seven games to avoid tying the worst record in franchise history and will need four of seven just to tie last year's pathetic record.
The only question that remains for the Pistons is what are they going to do about it?