Pistons at Bucks
As Detroit struggles out of the gate under first-year head coach Stan Van Gundy, the man tasked with turning around the franchise, it comes down to the most basic of principles - making shots. In the case of the Pistons, they don't make enough, an issue they will try to correct Tuesday at Milwaukee. Detroit has lost four in a row, the latest a 99-89 setback in Atlanta on Friday in which the Pistons shot 37.3 percent from the floor to drop their season average to 41 percent, 29th in the NBA.
Guard Brandon Jennings, who was 2-of-6 in the loss and missed all four of his 3-point tries, turned heads by telling MLive on Friday that "we don't shoot in practice," a possible slight at Van Gundy or the team as a whole. The Bucks won five out of six following a loss at Detroit on Nov. 7 but have dropped two consecutive decisions, including a 111-100 setback against Washington on Saturday. Brandon Knight scored 27 points in the loss, which left Milwaukee with a 4-2 mark at home.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, FSN Detroit, FSN Wisconsin (Milwaukee)
ABOUT THE PISTONS (3-10): Jennings' comments are interesting, given the fact that his 43.8 percent mark from the floor is far and away the best of his career. However, the streaky guard left Atlanta with a hyperextended left thumb that limited him to 23 minutes against the Hawks. Jennings is considered questionable to play but should benefit from the three full days off, tied for the Pistons' longest gap before a four-day break around Christmas.
ABOUT THE BUCKS (7-7): The biggest change for Milwaukee this season under new head coach Jason Kidd was a commitment to defense, which ranked among the league's elites in several categories early on. However, the Bucks have allowed an average of 116.5 points over their last four games, with Washington recording 64 in the second half after making it a point to press the issue against Milwaukee. "Teams are seeing that if you press us right now, we can't handle it," Kidd told reporters.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Pistons C Andre Drummond has at least 10 rebounds in nine of his last 10 games.
2. Bucks F Ersan Ilyasova is averaging 15.3 points on 64.1 percent shooting in 20.8 minutes over his last four games.
3. Milwaukee entered Monday second in the league with 9.4 steals per game while Detroit ranked 29th at 5.4.