Warriors at Pistons
Greg Monroe is the only Piston remaining from the last Detroit team to beat the Golden State Warriors. Monroe and the Pistons look to end their recent streak of futility against Golden State when the red-hot Warriors visit the Motor City on Sunday. Golden State has won six straight in the series, last losing on Nov. 7, 2010 by a count of 102-97 when Monroe scored seven points in 18 minutes during his rookie season.
More importantly, the Warriors enter on an eight-game winning streak under first-year coach Steve Kerr to improve to 13-2 on the season. Stephen Curry has been hot lately, but even his sharpshooting has taken a back seat lately to reserve Marreese Speights, who scored 16 straight points in the fourth quarter for his club Friday against Charlotte en route to 27 in the 106-101 win. Detroit dropped its seventh in a row, 104-88 against Milwaukee on Friday.
TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, CSN Bay Area (Golden State), FSN Detroit Plus
ABOUT THE WARRIORS (13-2): Speights is averaging an NBA-best 38.8 points per 48 minutes and is shooting 60.3 percent from the floor. "We were struggling, and he came in and dominated, "Curry told reporters. "Without him tonight our team doesn't even come close." Curry is scoring 33.3 points in the last three games on 30-of-52 shooting with 21 assists.
ABOUT THE PISTONS (3-13): Detroit has dropped the first two in a stretch in which seven of eight games are at home. One bright spot was Andre Drummond's 26 points and 20 rebounds, but Milwaukee shot 50.6 percent, was plus-five in rebounds and outscored Detroit's bench 69-13. "We should be better than this," Detroit coach Stan Van Gundy said afterwards. "We have to find a way to be better." Perimeter shooting has been a problem, as Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (35.8 perccent) and D.J. Augustin (35.7) are among the 10 worst shooters in the league among players with 100 shots.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Speights is averaging 17.8 points per game in his last seven after averaging just 7.3 points in his first seven.
2. Drummond's 19.5 rebounds per 48 minutes is best in the NBA among players with a minimum 200 minutes.
3. Pistons PG Brandon Jennings (thumb) missed his third straight game Friday.
PREDICTION: Warriors 105, Pistons 90