After getting their first win of the season in Philadelphia against the 76ers on Wednesday, the Detroit Pistons return to action tonight at home against the New York Knicks.
Thanks to injury luck with both Joel Embiid and Paul George sidelined for Philadelphia, they could get another positive draw with Karl-Anthony Towns rising through the air.
Can the Pistons win two games in a row for the first time since March?
Vital elements game
When: Friday, November 1 at 7pm EST
Location: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit
Watch: FanDuel Sports Network in Detroit
Odds: Pistons +6.5
analysis
Detroit and New York entered the year with very different expectations.
The Pistons were just trying to get some respect, and the Knicks were trying to do everything they could in the tournament. It was a bit of a mixed bag for both teams. New York won two of three games after losing to the Boston Celtics on opening night.
Cities were a big reason for this. Towns was traded to the Knicks from Minnesota this summer, and he was everything the Knicks could ask for offensively. He scored 44 points Wednesday night and showed the versatility and floor spacing New York never had with Isaiah Hartenstein last season.
He teams up with Jalen Brunson (22.8 points per game) to form one of the best duos in the East.
KAT will be a game-time decision tonight due to a wrist injury, and if he plays, it will be interesting to see how Detroit plays. Jalen Duren’s efficiency at the basket on offense has been a plus, but otherwise he has struggled early in the season.
He was completely outplayed by backup Isaiah Stewart in Philly and the defensive numbers behind the scenes on Stew paint a rosy picture. He was an incredible asset in that regard and his impact was evident as the Pistons had a spring in their step with him on the floor.
They showed some restraint and determination in defence, which was much needed.
I think it’s still a tough game for Stew, but if we see Duren starting against Cat tonight, I wouldn’t be surprised if the latter gets 10-15 points in the first quarter. After all, he’s averaged 24 points per game against Detroit since 2020.
The Knicks have plenty of big bodies on the wing to throw at Detroit. How guys like Cade Cunningham, Tobias Harris and Jaden Ivey handle tall defenders Mikel Bridges, OG Anunoby and Josh Hart.
And something else to look out for: Miles McBride. He’s a great player off the bench and could rain down threes if he had a sliver of daylight. The Pistons need to keep him in check.
Expected formation of the New York Knicks (2-2)
Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart, OG Anunoby, Karl-Anthony Towns
Detroit Pistons (1-4)
Cade Cunningham, Jayden Ivey, Tim Hardaway Jr., Tobias Harris, Jalen Duren
Question of the day
What can the Pistons gain from a win in Philadelphia against the Knicks tonight?
