Pistons at Suns
It's too early to identify any game in the NBA season as a must win, but Friday's showdown between the Detroit Pistons and Phoenix Suns at U.S. Airways Center means plenty to both sides. Phoenix is trying to avoid dropping back-to-back home games to start the season. Meanwhile, Detroit will open a daunting six-game Western road trip.
Goran Dragic, Steve Nash's replacement as the Suns' starting point guard, started his second hitch with Phoenix by totaling 17 points, eight assists and six rebounds in Wednesday's 87-85 loss to Golden State. Dragic is one of nine new players on the Phoenix roster. The Pistons are one of the league's youngest teams, with six first- or second-year players. That makes this contest vital heading into a stretch of road games against the Lakers, Nuggets and Thunder before concluding against a Houston Rockets team that beat Detroit 105-96 in Wednesday's season opener.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, Fox Sports Detroit (Detroit), Fox Sports Arizona (Phoenix)
ABOUT THE PISTONS (0-1): Detroit made some dubious history in Wednesday's loss to the Rockets by allowing James Harden to rack up 37 points, 12 assists, six rebounds, four steals and a block. In the past 25 years, three players have posted that stat line in an NBA game: Michael Jordan, Larry Bird and Dwyane Wade. Rodney Stuckey had a rough 2012-13 debut. Not only was he the primary defender assigned to Harden, Stuckey went 1-of-10 from the field.
ABOUT THE SUNS (0-1): Phoenix players voted Jared Dudley and Jermaine O'Neal as team captains prior to Wednesday's 87-85 loss to Golden State. Dudley is the longest-tenured Sun on the current roster, while O'Neal is in his 17th year in the league. P.J. Tucker probably staked out more regular playing time for himself with his effort against the Warriors. Tucker scored 10 points and provided Phoenix with a needed infusion of energy off the bench. The odd man out, as a result, was Michael Beasley.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Suns have owned this series as of late, winning six of the past seven meetings and four in a row at home.
2. Detroit went 7-26 in home games last season.
3. Wednesday's Pistons-Rockets game drew a 4.6 rating on Fox Sports Detroit, almost double the 2.88 registered for last season's opener.