Pistons at Bulls
The Detroit Pistons worked themselves into the No. 6 spot in the Eastern Conference with wins in 10 of the last 12 games and are running up the score of late with an average of 124 points in the last three games. The Pistons will try to push their latest winning streak to four in a row when they visit the Chicago Bulls on Friday in the first of a home-and-home set.
Detroit jumped over .500 for the first time since Dec. 19 when they dropped the Minnesota Timberwolves 131-114 on Wednesday, which marked the team's highest point total in regulation this season. "I feel like this stretch of games, you never know who it's going to be," All-Star forward Blake Griffin told reporters of the team's offensive surge. "It's going to be somebody, but you never know who it's going to be. (Andre Drummond) is pretty dependable, but we've had so many guys step up. Reggie's (Jackson) played unbelievable. Luke's (Kennard) played unbelievable. That's tough for teams to game plan against when it's a pretty balanced attack like it was." The Bulls are on their own upswing and edged the playoff-bound Philadelphia 76ers 108-107 on Wednesday for their sixth victory in nine games. "We can beat any of these teams," Chicago guard Zach LaVine told reporters. "We've always played with them. We just have to show we can win. We're in a good little rhythm now. When you are rebuilding you have to take your bumps and understand you have to build your way up. We're a young, exciting team. We have elite firepower."
TV: 8 p.m. ET, FS Detroit, NBCS Chicago
ABOUT THE PISTONS (32-31): Drummond led the way with 31 points and 15 rebounds on Wednesday to mark his 16th straight double-double. The notoriously poor free-throw shooter is performing at the line as well by hitting 20-of-26 attempts in the last three games and is drawing praise for his progression as a passer. "He's grown so much," Detroit coach Dwane Casey told reporters of Drummond. "I'm very proud of him. The number one thing he's doing now, he is passing the ball and that's what we've got to have. Early in the year, he would have tried to force, oopsy-do and underhand finger roll and miss the shot. Now he's seeing the floor."
ABOUT THE BULLS (19-47): Chicago's turnaround coincided with the acquisition of small forward Otto Porter Jr., who is trying to help his new teammates develop winning habits. "The chemistry is clicking," Porter told the team's website. "We are getting better every game. Each game we are taking something away to prepare us for the future, no matter what it is: Five minutes to go down 10, how we are going to respond at home? Protect home court, cut turnovers the last four minutes, simple things like that. It shows the growth, what we are trying to accomplish here leading to next year. We are trying to build on the right habits, build that winning mentality here, be a very detailed, defensive minded team." Porter is averaging 18 points and six rebounds while shooting 49.1 percent from 3-point range in 10 games with the team.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Pistons reserve PG Ish Smith is 17-of-25 from the floor over the last three games.
2. LaVine scored 30 or more points in each of the Bulls' last four wins.
3. Detroit took the last five in the series, including two in Chicago.