Set for a 7 pm tip-off against the New Orleans Pelicans tonight, the Detroit Pistons are back in action after a heartbreaking overtime defeat to the Atlanta Hawks last night. 

Entering the contest, the Pistons were momentum-filled on the heels of a four-game winning streak, but the Hawks were the hottest team in the NBA over the last month with a 13-1 record in their last 14 before facing Detroit. Despite that heater, Jalen Duren and the Pistons battled to force the game into overtime after Tobias Harris hit a clutch mid-range shot at the end of regulation. 

Duren posted another huge double-double in the contest with 26 points and 14 rebounds as the Pistons’ leading scorer, but the Hawks edged out the East leaders by the narrowest of margins, 130-129. Harris finished with 22 points himself, but the Hawks’ combination of Jalen Johnson and C.J. McCollum overwhelmed the Pistons lead in the game with a bevy of key shots for Atlanta. 

So, last night’s one-point loss means that the Detroit Pistons will be short on rest for tonight’s battle against the New Orleans Pelicans, and they’ll also be shorthanded from a depth standpoint in the final stages of the regular season. 

Last night, Pistons All-Star point guard Cade Cunningham was unavailable as he continued to recover from pneumothorax (collapsed lung), but the Detroit floor general is inching closer toward his eventual return. Cunningham was observed going through a few light shooting drills before Wednesday’s game, so the game-changing playmaker is making some degree of progress in his rehab. 

Apart from Cunningham, the Pistons are also working on welcoming Isaiah Stewart back into the lineup soon after his left calf strain, but Beef Stew carries an estimated return date of Saturday, March 28 according to ESPN. Marcus Sasser also missed last night’s contest against the Hawks due to lingering hip soreness, and the third-year guard has remained out of the lineup for three consecutive games now. 

UPDATE as of 2:30 pm: 

OUT: Cade Cunningham, Isaiah Stewart, Caris LeVert

QUESTIONABLE: Tobias Harris

PROBABLE: Jalen Duren, Javonte Green, Duncan Robinson, Marcus Sasser, Ausar Thompson

On the Pelicans side of tonight’s matchup, New Orleans is hoping to have both Trey Murphy III and Dejounte Murray at their disposal. Murphy is currently listed as day-to-day and is questionable for the Pistons game due to right ankle soreness, so the dynamic forward is slightly hampered at the moment. 

Murray, on the other hand, was named on the injury report due to a lack of rest, so the Pelicans have multiple situations regarding key players to monitor at the moment. This season, Murray is averaging 17.6 points, 5.1 rebounds and 6.7 assists playing alongside Murphy, who’s been good for 21.7 points and 5.7 rebounds per game himself. 

Outside of those two key players, the Pelicans are expected to miss guard Bryce McGowens as a result of his right toe fracture, so New Orleans has a trio of injury woes to contend with Detroit’s modest batch of health concerns leading into tonight’s matchup. 

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