Detroit Pistons will look to avoid their first three-game’s losing line since January when they visit Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday evening.
The competition is the final in a four-game road swing for the pistons. They conducted Utah Jazz to start the journey before losing to the Los Angeles Clippers and Golden State Warriors.
Detroit had a chance to beat Warriors on Saturday night before they fell 115-110. The pistons led by a point after Cade Cunningham’s basket with 49.9 seconds left before the Golden State closed the game with a crucial 8-2 spurt.
“I thought our guys did a good job of competing and gave us an opportunity to win down the route,” said Detroit coach JB Bickerstaff afterwards.
Cunningham scored 31 points to put on the pistons. He has topped 30 in consecutive games and four of the last eight.
Tobias Harris (15 points, 12 returns) and Jalen Duren (13 points, 13 returns) had each double doubles against Warriors.
Harris missed the two previous games because of personal reasons, and Bickerstaff was happy to have him back.
“He is a leader. He has been a stable influence on this team all year,” Bickerstaff said. “We depend on him, he is reliable, he is there to support the group and gives everyone a sense of trust.”
The Duren has recorded three double doubles in four matches this month.
After the competition in Portland, Piston returns two matches against Washington Wizards and a counter Oklahoma City Thunder.
The season is on the line for Trail Blazers for the next two plus weeks as Sunday’s competition is the beginning of a distance where Portland is home in eight of nine matches.
After the matchup with Pistons, Trail visits Blazers Warriors on Monday before opening a crucial seven game home.
“We have to go home at least for a day,” Portland coach Chauncey Billups after Friday’s loss 107-89 told Oklahoma City Thunder. “We’re all happy about it.”
Portland went 4-3 on a seven-game trip and the losses were to the three best teams with a record in the NBA: Cleveland Cavaliers, Thunder and Boston Celtics.
“I thought it was a good trip for us,” Billups said. “With the exception (from Oklahoma City) we had a chance to win every game. This was the only game where I feel we had no control in the game.”
Portland enters the route in 12th place in the Western conference. Trail Blazers are four matches behind Dallas Mavericks, who owns the last play-in-quay. Phoenix Suns is 1 1/2 games before Trail Blazers.
This home -heavy span would be an ideal time for Portland to do a run.
But it will not be easy with Celtics and Cavaliers among the teams that come in visit. Denver Nuggets, Memphis Grizzlies and New York Knicks – all sitting in the strong playoffs – is also among the opponents on the slate.
But first, Portland must worry about the pistons. Detroit won the first meeting of the season, 118-115 at home on January 6. Anternee Simons got 36 points for Trail Blazers and Cunningham had 32 for the pistons.
Simons will look back after having 14 points on 5-AV-16 shooting against Oklahoma City. He was on average 30.3 points during the previous three games.
Scoot Henderson led Portland with 22 points from the bench towards the thunderstorm.
Deni Avdija (Quad) is hesitant for Trail Blazers after missing Friday’s play.
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