Pistons at Timberwolves
Andre Drummond is one of the top centers in the NBA and the 23-year-old All-Star looks for his sixth consecutive double-double when the Detroit Pistons visit the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday. Drummond scored a season-best 26 points and collected 20 rebounds in Wednesday's 87-77 loss to the Charlotte Hornets and his 11 20-20 outings since 2012-13 are the most in the NBA
Drummond was 11-of-14 shooting against the Hornets while reaching 20 points for the fifth time this season. His strong reliable play has been a big factor in Detroit winning six of its last nine games to reach the .500 mark. Minnesota has dropped six of its past seven games and gave the Toronto Raptors a good fight for 3 1/2 quarters Thursday before succumbing 124-110. "There is no reason why we can win three of the first quarters and then lose it in the fourth," Timberwolves guard Zach LaVine said afterward. "So it's frustrating."
TV: 8 p.m. ET, FSN Detroit, FSN North Plus (Minnesota)
ABOUT THE PISTONS (12-12): Point guard Reggie Jackson is averaging 11.7 points in his first three games since returning from a knee injury and the decision to let him play in back-to-back games didn't turn out so well. Jackson was 6-of-21 shooting against the Chicago Bulls and Hornets and admitted after the Charlotte game that he didn't have enough energy in the tank. "I find myself not being as fresh as I normally feel," Jackson said afterward. "I'm sure I will get back to who I am and doing the things that I do."
ABOUT THE TIMBERWOLVES (6-16): Coach Tom Thibodeau has been disappointed with the defensive performance for most of the season and his squad is allowing an average of 114.3 points over the past seven games. The latest example was the final quarter against Toronto as Minnesota entered the stanza with a one-point before being outscored 36-21 over the final 12 minutes. "I thought the first three quarters offensively we were very good, connected, made the right reads, right plays, ball movement and screening, cutting, a lot of good things happened," Thibodeau told reporters. "Then, in the fourth, we got away from that. Of course, to me, the defense, we have to correct it. We have to get it better. It's costing us right now."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Pistons won both meetings against the Timberwolves last season after dropping the previous 10 matchups.
2. Minnesota is 2-14 when allowing 100 or more points.
3. Detroit SG Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is averaging just 9.3 points over the past three games after averaging 24 in the preceding two.