Pelicans at Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are dealing with some key injuries and are slumping with losses in three straight games. The Pistons will try to tighten things up and overcome the injuries when they host the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday.
Detroit was missing key role players Ish Smith (groin), Reggie Bullock (ankle) and Stanley Johnson (knee) on Friday and did not have enough in reserve to overcome a second-half onslaught as turnovers and ineffectiveness helped a 15-point lead turn into a 117-111 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers at home. "Turnovers - that's the bottom line," Pistons coach Dwane Casey told reporters. "That's what shot ourselves in the heel. (Eighteen) turnovers – it's hard to beat anybody when you do that. Philadelphia's a very good defensive team, but a lot of our turnovers were self-inflicted." The Pelicans know what it's like to break down late in a game and suffered a 107-103 loss at home to the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday despite holding an eight-point lead with just over five minutes remaining. "Well, you've got to finish games," New Orleans coach Alvin Gentry told reporters. "You know, I mean that's just the bottom line. It's not really complicated. It's (a) simple thing. You know, you get to the point where you're eight up at home with 5:12 to go, you've got to finish the game. We didn't do that."
TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, FS New Orleans, FS Detroit
ABOUT THE PELICANS (13-14): New Orleans went 7-of-29 from the 3-point line in Friday's setback as Anthony Davis (0-of-5), Jrue Holiday (0-of-2) and Darius Miller (1-of-5) struggled. "I think we shot close to 30 threes tonight and I think we only made seven," Holiday told reporters, "If you make some of those at certain times in the game, we open up the game and I think it'd be a different story. Maybe we make a couple more threes, it's a different game." Davis still finished with 25 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks - the third time in the last five games that he recorded at least four blocked shots.
ABOUT THE PISTONS (13-10): Blake Griffin attempted a career-high 24 free throws on Friday (making 17) en route to 31 points but scuffled with Philadelphia swingman Jimmy Butler and was not happy with his team's effort. "Our disposition during those (critical) moments, our lack of focus, concentration coming out of timeouts, was really bad tonight," Griffin told reporters. "That's not winning basketball. That's how you get beat and our record for the last three games has shown that." The Pistons were outscored by a total of 47 points in the second half over the last three games.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Bullock and Johnson are both questionable for Sunday while Smith is expected to be out until next month.
2. Pelicans PF Julius Randle is averaging 30 points and 13 rebounds over the last three contests.
3. New Orleans took the last three in the series, including a 118-103 victory in its last trip to Detroit on Feb. 12.