Pistons at Knicks
Time is running out for the Detroit Pistons, who try to salvage the finale of their four-game road trip when they meet the New York Knicks on Monday at Madison Square Garden. Detroit dropped three straight games and six of its last seven contests after a 115-87 setback in Orlando on Friday - its fifth straight loss on the road - and is one-half game behind Chicago for ninth in the Eastern Conference, and one game back of eighth-place Miami for the final playoff spot.
"(Missing the playoffs) would (stink) - it (stinks) every year you’re not in the postseason and not one of the teams competing to be the last one standing,” Pistons guard Reggie Jackson told reporters. "... It’s tough. It’s a performance-based league so all our jobs are on the line.'' Detroit reached the playoffs for the first time in seven seasons in 2015-16 and can take big steps toward validating that appearance with victories Monday and against Miami at home Tuesday. New York dropped its fifth straight game Saturday, 106-98 loss at San Antonio to cap an 0-4 road trip and won once in its last nine games as it steamrolls toward its fourth straight season missing the playoffs. The Pistons won two of the first three of four meetings this season after a 112-92 victory March 11 behind 28 points from Tobias Harris, who averaged 24 points and nine rebounds in the three encounters versus the Knicks.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FSN Detroit, MSG (New York)
ABOUT THE PISTONS (34-39): Andre Drummond (14.4 points, 14.0 rebounds per game) leads the NBA in double-doubles with 227 since entering the league in 2012-13 but didn't record one in the last two contests while scoring six and eight points. Harris leads Detroit in scoring at 16.2 points but reached that number only once in the last six games. Jackson is next at 14.5 but averaged 9.5 in his last four contests while shooting 16-for-48 from the floor during that span.
ABOUT THE KNICKS (27-46): With Joakim Noah out with a knee injury and a 20-game suspension for using performance-enhancing drugs that could begin this week, Willy Hernangomez is taking over the low post in New York. The 22-year-old center (7.5 points, 6.8 rebounds per game) scored a career-high 24 points Saturday and averaged 11.2 points and 9.7 rebounds in his first 11 March games. Carmelo Anthony (team-best 22.7 points) missed the last two contests with a sore left knee while rookie Mindaugas Kuzminskas benefited from the absence of Lance Thomas (hip) on Saturday to match a season high with 19 points.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Pistons are the first team since 2006-07 to have five players averaging at least 14 points this late in the season.
2. Hernangomez (63 games) was second among NBA rookies in field goal percentage (54.0) behind Sacramento's Skal Labissiere (57.6 in 23 contests) entering Sunday.
3. The teams alternated wins and losses over the last eight games with the home team winning the last six.