The Detroit Pistons will look to continue a positive run when they host the Portland Trail Blazers tonight (Friday).
The Pistons head into their first clash against a Western Conference opponent since beating the Utah Jazz on November 5. Detroit lost its last game against the Milwaukee Bucks 113-109, conceding a 10-1 finish at the death, falling to its fifth loss.
But it will be a perfect time to bounce right back against the Trail Blazers, a team that the Pistons have won three straight games against. They will aim to make it four in a row to maintain their cushion on top of the Eastern Conference.
However, they are developing a pattern of playing close games. The Pistons’ last six games have been decided by five points or fewer, and they are 3-3 in those contests.
This comes off a franchise-tied 13 consecutive victories, which propelled Detroit’s rise to the summit.
Fast forward to the present day, though, and there will be issues for the Pistons to address.
Dec 3, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) drives to the basket against Milwaukee Bucks guard Kevin Porter Jr. (7) in the second half at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images | Michael McLoone-Imagn Images
OVERCOMING A SLOW START
Reigning Eastern Conference Player of the Month, Cade Cunningham, hasn’t enjoyed the best of starts to December. The superstar has scored fewer than 20 points in his last two games, and for a team that relies on him heavily, it’s hopeful that he is going through a minor blip.
Opposing defensive schemes have made Cunningham’s life difficult, as you would expect, putting up difficult shot attempts. But Cunningham won’t be intimidated by the newfound slump and will no doubt continue to grind. He will look to get going early and hit at least two field goals in the first few minutes to get his rhythm going, and from there… he has the hallmarks of being unstoppable.
PISTONS LOOK TO RENEW THEIR LOVE OF THE TRANSITION
The Pistons have been deadly on the fast break, and they lead the NBA in points in the paint with 57.5 per game, which predominantly comes from running the floor. However, the Bucks had a plan last time out: to frustrate Detroit with zone defense, which limited Detroit to just eight points in transition.
“It was impactful because we allowed it to be, and then, it started to impact our defense,” Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “It slowed us down. We got stagnant against the zone. We could have moved it a little bit better.”
They face a Portland team that is in the bottom five for points conceded at 120.6. A chance to run tonight.
LIMIT AVDIJA
For Detroit, limiting Portland’s trail blazing Deni Avdija is crucial. He led his side with 27 points in their win over the Cleveland Cavaliers in their last matchup and has averaged 30 points, 10.3 rebounds and 9.8 assists over his previous four games.