Pistons at 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers have just one victory all season but next up on
the schedule is a team they defeated three times last season. The
Detroit Pistons arrive in Philadelphia for Friday's game and are hoping
to have a better outcome against the 76ers after losing three of four
meetings in 2014-15.
The Pistons figure to be in a foul mood after losing their last two outings, including Wednesday's 93-92 loss to Memphis when Grizzlies forward Matt Barnes made a halfcourt shot with 1.1 seconds left. "It's the toughest loss all season," Detroit point guard Reggie Jackson told reporters. "It was a good basketball game, just with something unimaginable and unexplainable happening at the end." Philadelphia has dropped four straight games since defeating the Los Angeles Lakers on Dec. 1 for its lone victory of the season. The 76ers fell 100-91 to the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday as they went 4-of-31 from 3-point range.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, FSN Detroit Plus, CSN Philadelphia
ABOUT THE PISTONS (12-11): Detroit averaged just 88 points while losing back-to-back games against Charlotte and Memphis. The Pistons totaled just 33 points in the second half while losing to the Hornets and then had only 18 final-quarter points in the tough loss to the Grizzlies. "I think we've got a lot of guys who really want to get this worked out, who are committed to being a good team, who are willing to put in their work," Detroit coach Stan Van Gundy told reporters. "And I look at the history of a lot of guys shooting and I think we’ll come back to the norm with all of that. I think those are all causes for optimism."
ABOUT THE 76ERS (1-22): Rookie center Jahlil Okafor had 22 points and 10 rebounds against the Nets in a solid performance in his second contest since returning from a two-game suspension for off-the-floor behavior. Okafor has fared better on the court with eight 20-point outings and six double-doubles. "You can see with all the stuff that's been going on in his life, inevitably there is a weight on him," Philadelphia coach Brett Brown told reporters. "I just feel like he played with a bounce."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Pistons have dropped their last three visits to Philadelphia.
2. Philadelphia backup SG Nik Stauskas is 1-of-12 from 3-point range over the past two games.
3. Detroit C Andre Drummond had 18 points and 19 rebounds against Memphis for his sixth double-double in seven games.