Pistons at Bucks
The Detroit Pistons ended a six-game homestand with their largest margin of defeat of the season. The Pistons look to rebound from the 110-83 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder when they visit the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday.
The 27-point defeat on Monday was Detroit's lone loss on the homestand and only its third in 12 games but it left power forward Blake Griffin with a dejected feeling. "We didn't come out with any urgency, and that's entirely on us," Griffin told reporters. "No coach can go out there and make us play hard. We need to take a hard look at this game and learn from what we did out there." Milwaukee suffered a 136-134 overtime defeat against the host New York Knicks on Saturday and lost three of its last five games. "It's frustrating and disappointing because I feel like that one's definitely on us," Bucks center Brook Lopez told reporters. "We feel like that's one we should have had and we kind of gave away. No discredit to them or anything like that, but it's a tough one for us."
TV: 8 p.m. ET, FS Detroit, FS Wisconsin (Milwaukee)
ABOUT THE PISTONS (13-8): Griffin scored 20 points against Oklahoma City and tallied at least 20 in four straight games and eight of the past nine. The five-time All-Star is providing Detroit with bona fide star play, an ingredient the team was missing prior to his acquisition from the Los Angeles Clippers last January. "You guys see it," backup forward Stanley Johnson told reporters. "He's going to make a play. He's done it every way. He's split double teams, shot over triple teams, hit game winners. The attention he brings at the end of games, it brings us open looks. I've never played with a guy like this before in my career. Definitely the best player I've played with."
ABOUT THE BUCKS (15-7): Star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo had 33 points and 19 rebounds in the loss to New York and topped 30 in five of the past six games while recording eight straight double-doubles. He was less than thrilled with the setback against the lowly Knicks but thinks his team - which has won more than twice as many games as it has lost - can vastly improve. "I think we can get a lot better," Antetokounmpo told reporters. "We've lost a lot of games, close games, and we haven't had a chance to execute as well as we want at the end of games. I feel like if we can improve that, try to keep our leads when we have leads ... I think we're going to be great."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The teams split four meetings last season with the home team winning each contest.
2. Milwaukee PG Eric Bledsoe scored a season-best 27 points against the Knicks for his fifth 20-point outing of the season.
3. Detroit G Reggie Bullock (ankle) departed the Oklahoma City game and is questionable to play Wednesday.