Pistons at Bucks
The Detroit Pistons are turning things around on the defensive end, and it has led to back-to-back wins. The Pistons will try to make it three straight and pull a game over .500 when they visit the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday.
Detroit ended a five-game slide by winning 96-88 at Cleveland on Monday and avoided a letdown by crushing the Philadelphia 76ers 111-91 on Wednesday. “They played really, really well the last two games,” Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy told reporters of his players. “But it’s only two games and we’ve got a long way to go. We’re obviously in the middle of a very tough stretch. A lot of road games against a lot of good teams. So we’re going to have to play pretty well.” The Bucks had won four of five before falling at Boston on Thursday and are still aiming at a playoff spot in the East. "We're going to get on a roll," Milwaukee forward Jabari Parker told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "We have five home games and we'll try to take advantage of it, try to win all five of them."
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, FSN Detroit, FSN Wisconsin (Milwaukee)
ABOUT THE PISTONS (29-29): The addition of Tobias Harris in front of the trade deadline is already paying dividends as the 23-year-old forward grows more comfortable playing in the Detroit frontcourt. “We’re trying harder,” Pistons forward Marcus Morris told reporters. “I think me and (Harris), we give a team different looks and our offense has been better, too. We’re pushing it at ’em. I feel like our pace has picked up, everything. I feel like we’re playing with more of a sense of urgency.” Harris is averaging 18.3 points in four games since joining the team.
ABOUT THE BUCKS (24-34): Milwaukee is giving more responsibility to small forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, and the 21-year-old is responding. Antetokounmpo went for a triple-double in Monday’s win over the Los Angeles Lakers to cap a string of four straight double-doubles before managing 14 points, eight assists and seven rebounds in Thursday’s 112-107 loss in Boston. "Giannis is 14, 8 and 7,” Bucks coach Jason Kidd told reporters. “We'll get to a point of saying that's a bad night for him.”
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Bucks G Jerryd Bayless (knee) sat out the last three games and is day-to-day.
2. Pistons F Stanley Johnson (shoulder sprain) sat out Wednesday and is not expected to play on Saturday.
3. Detroit snapped a four-game losing streak in the series with a 102-95 home triumph on Dec. 4.