Pistons at Nets
THE STORY: The Detroit Pistons are on the verge of a milestone they'd rather not reach as they face the host New Jersey Nets on Wednesday night. The woeful Pistons will look to avoid becoming the first team in the NBA to reach the 20-loss plateau – and they'll be in tough despite facing a Nets team that is dealing with a litany of injuries. Detroit suffered loss No. 19 on Tuesday night, falling behind by double digits in the second quarter and scoring just 12 points in the third as it was routed 113-86 by the host New York Knicks. The defeat dropped the Pistons to 1-11 away from the Motor City, and recent history isn't on their side as the home team has prevailed in nine of the last 10 head-to-head encounters between Detroit and New Jersey. The Nets had their own third-quarter meltdown Tuesday, getting outscored 29-19 on the way to a seven-point loss in Indiana. Deron Williams poured in a game-high 34 points in defeat and is averaging just under 30 points over his last four games. Anthony Morrow added 28 in Tuesday's loss but the rest of the supporting cast was dreadful, shooting just 40.5 percent (15 for 37) from the field.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, Fox Sports Detroit, YES
ABOUT THE PISTONS (4-19): Saddled with the NBA's most anemic offense at just over 85 points per game, Detroit can ill afford many defensive lapses over the course of a game. Yet that's exactly what has plagued the Pistons of late, with Tuesday's rout marking the fourth time in the last five games the team has surrendered more than 100 points. Detroit has also had two games in its last 10 where it allowed 99 points and another where it yielded 98 points.
ABOUT THE NETS (7-15): With all of the injuries the Nets are facing, it's no surprise Williams has taken on more of the scoring burden. Already playing without star center Brook Lopez (foot) and forward Damian James (foot), New Jersey battled the Pacers without rookie guard MarShon Brooks (toe), center Mehmet Okur (back) and swingman DeShawn Stevenson (knee). It isn't known how long the Nets will be without Brooks, who sits second on the team in scoring at 14.8 points per game.
BUZZER BEATERS:
1. This is the first meeting between the clubs this season. They split four encounters in 2010-11, with the home team prevailing each time.
2. Wednesday marks the Pistons' third game in as many nights. They were outscored by 48 points in the first two games of the stretch.
3. Morrow averages 16.9 points in 13 games as a starter. He's expected to see an uptick in playing time with Brooks on the sidelines.