With consecutive 20-plus point blowout victories under their belt, the Detroit Pistons have finally course-corrected after a season-long four-game losing streak last week. Last night, the Pistons lodged a 131-109 win at home against the Philadelphia 76ers, so Detroit has is heavy on momentum leading into a matchup where they’ll be short on rest. 

Tonight, the Pistons host the Memphis Grizzlies for a 7 pm tip-off, and Detroit looks to be without third-year forward Ausar Thompson for the fifth consecutive game after spraining his right ankle. Outside of Thompson, the rest of Detroit’s core should be ready to go after a relatively light workload for both Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren last night. 

Cunningham, who started in the backcourt opposite Marcus Sasser, only scored eight points in 28 minutes, but the All-Star floor general dished out 13 assists during the three quarters of action against Philadelphia. Duren, on the other hand, logged even less playing time with 14 points and 10 rebounds in 15 minutes last night. 

While the Pistons are rallying at the moment, the Grizzlies are reeling entering tonight’s cross-conference battle with six consecutive losses on the bounce. But for as much as the Grizzlies have struggled recently, none of their losses have been by more than 11 points, so they’re keeping it somewhat competitive without hurting their draft position. 

In Memphis’ game last night against the Mavericks, Khris Middleton cranked back the clock with a vintage 35-point night off the bench, sinking eight triples to help Dallas outpace the Grizzlies by a 120-112 margin. Memphis went with an eight-man rotation last night and had a pair of 20-point scorers in GG Jackson and Jaylen Wells, but Middleton’s flamethrower outside shooting carried the Mavs to an eight-point win. 

From a team standpoint, the Grizzlies make the 4th most field goals from inside the paint but outside of the restricted area per game in the NBA with 10.1, but Memphis’ position drops all the way down to No. 20 when the sample size is expanded to include the mid-range. Then from within the restricted area, the Grizzlies are actually the fourth-worst team in the league, so their sweet spot exists about 3-5 feet away from the hoop based on data from NBA.com. 

In a recent pre-game press conference, Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff confirmed that Thompson would be out for “a minute” as he deals with the sprained ankle, so Ausar is not expected to suit up for tonight’s contest. Caris LeVert, who has been dealing with a sprained left wrist, is more likely to play, though he still has not been confirmed as available just yet. 

As for their counterparts, the Grizzlies sport one of the longest injury reports in the league at the moment. The Grizzlies are set to play tonight without Taj Gibson, Walter Clayton Jr., Ty Jerome, Cam Spencer, Santi Aldana, Ja Morant, Zach Edey, Brandon Clarke, Scottie Pippen Jr. and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope tonight as that 10-player contingent deals with a collection of respective injuries. Last night, Grizzlies forward Cedric Coward missed their game against the Mavs, but he’s listed as day-to-day for the time being. 

Last night against the Sixers, 15-year vet Tobias Harris helped fill the void with both Duren and Cunningham playing sparingly in the second half with 15 points on 6-for-11 shooting against his former squad. Throughout the year, Harris has operated in the 13-to-15 point range most nights while serving a role that Bickerstaff has called Detroit’s safety blanket due to his mid-range dependability. 

Along those lines, @Dynatyze on X put together a chart that helps illustrate what Bickerstaff means when he says Harris has been a reliable mid-range option for the Pistons in his second stint with the team. Check out the latest analytics straight from the lab: 

According to the graphic, Harris checks out in the 91st percentile in terms of mid-range field goal percentage, which serves to emphatically support the point that Bickerstaff has been making. For all the ire that Harris receives, the experienced power forward has a well-defined office set up on the blocks, and he’s operated efficiently out of that space this season for Detroit. 

With so many absences from the Grizzlies’ lineup, the Pistons should direct their attention toward the young frontcourt combo of GG Jackson and Jaylen Wells. Both players are fresh off 20-point outings last night, and the Grizzlies simply don’t have many other offensive threats that will be healthy tonight. Memphis is scraping to get by at the moment, so any player development they can manage from Jackson and Wells during such a bleak season is considered a small victory in what looks to be a multi-year rebuild. 

For more information on the latest Detroit Pistons team or player news, follow @EricJRutter on X for continued basketball coverage. Also be sure to look up Roundtable - Michigan Men Media on Facebook for continued social media coverage of all the sporting teams in the Mitten.