The Indiana Pacers haven't looked like a team poised for a deep postseason run lately, but they hope a visit from the Detroit Pistons will help turn things around. Indiana needs some kind of spark, having lost five of six to drop into a virtual tie with Miami for the top spot in the Eastern Conference. The Pacers have won seven of the last eight meetings with the Pistons, who have lost 11 of their last 14 overall.
While much of the focus has been on Indiana's prospects of hanging onto the No. 1 seed, it might be time the Pacers concern themselves with bigger things — like sorting out their issues before their first-round series. "I don't know if we're putting a whole lot of emphasis on the No. 1 seed of late," Pacers coach Frank Vogel told reporters. "We're focused on winning the next game and finding a rhythm. Seeding right now is the last thing on our team's mind." The Pistons technically are still alive in the race for the final playoff spot in the East, but they would need something special — they're in 11th place and 5 1/2 games behind eighth-place Atlanta with eight games left.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, FSN Detroit, FSN Indiana
ABOUT THE PISTONS (27-47): Detroit is just 6-18 since interim coach Jon Loyer took the helm and needed a late rally to beat league-worst Milwaukee 116-111 on Monday. That one was at home, though, and the Pistons have been dreadful on the road lately, allowing 111.1 points per game while losing 14 of their last 15 away from home. The frontcourt trio of Andre Drummond, Greg Monroe and Josh Smith combined for 64 points and 31 rebounds against the Bucks, and they likely will need to turn in another strong performance to knock off the Pacers.
ABOUT THE PACERS (52-23): Indiana seemingly was locked in atop the East after beating the Heat last week but has suffered three straight double-digit losses since, including an ugly 103-77 defeat at the hands of visiting San Antonio on Monday. The loss snapped a four-game winning streak at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, where the Pacers are an NBA-best 33-5, including a 23-1 mark against Eastern Conference teams. The Pacers are a defensive-minded team, but their recent offensive woes are alarming — they've failed to reach 80 points in three straight games for the first time in club history.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Pacers have shot under 40 percent from the field in six straight games, the longest streak in franchise history.
2. Drummond has 49 double-doubles — second in the NBA behind Minnesota's Kevin Love (58) — but has averaged just 6.3 points and seven rebounds in three meetings with Indiana this season.
3. Indiana allows 35.3 points in the paint per game, the lowest average in the league, while Detroit leads the NBA with 52.3 points points in the paint per contest.