After 13 games, the Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers are both heading in opposite directions, though both squads are dealing with similar injury woes. For the home squad, the Pistons stand 11-2 and are in first place of the Eastern Conference right now, but Detroit is hanging on despite key injuries to virtually all of the squad’s key players. Indiana, on the other hand, sports a 1-12 record as the team has been weighed down by a wealth of injuries too and will likely contend for a lottery position in the 2026 NBA Draft. 

As of late, the Pistons check in as the hottest team in the league with an active nine-game winning streak. The Pistons have managed to find victory through a variety of paths, and Detroit has built its reputation on defensive toughness, a lightning-quick fast break and an ability to dominate scoring in the paint. That blueprint has resulted in one of the most impressive starts in the league for an ambitious Detroit squad with its sights set on reaching the playoffs for the second consecutive season. 

Injuries

Day by day, the Detroit Pistons are growing a bit healthier, though it will take some time as players trickle back into the lineup. The most recent updates are changes to the status of Cade Cunningham, Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson. Rather than being listed as questionable, the trio now shares the same “game-time decision” designation, which is a positive development. The Pistons could use any of Cunningham, Duren or Thompson back in the lineup, so it will be important to monitor their status as tip-off approaches. Isaiah Stewart also returned to the Pistons for their last game against the Sixers on Friday, so that’s another boost to the Detroit lineup. 

Apart from those players, the Pistons will still be without Tobias Harris, Jaden Ivey and Marcus Sasser. Recently, Ivey returned to the practice floor with some on-court drills, so the quick guard’s rehab is still progressing in the right direction. Sasser, on the other hand, is expected to return to the Pistons in a couple more weeks, whereas Harris should rejoin the lineup sooner than that assuming he does not have any setbacks with his sprained ankle. 

UPDATE: Jalen Duren's status has shifted to probable a few hours ahead of tip-off in Detroit, so it's likely that we'll see JD in the starting lineup tonight. 

Much like the Pistons, the Indiana Pacers have a collection of injuries to deal with as well. Of course, Tyrese Haliburton is sidelined for most of the season, and the Pacers could be missing up to six more players for their game against the Pistons on Monday. Both teams will be battling the injury bug as Detroit looks to push its winning streak to double digits. 

Pistons’ Jaden Ivey A Bit Closer To Making Return Detroit Pistons guard Jaden Ivey is still yet to make his regular season debut

Pacers News

The Pacers have experienced some rough sailing as of late, and there are no signs of the ship turning around soon with an 0-7 record on the road this season. Indiana has dropped seven straight games on the bounce, and the Pacers have allowed opponents to score 125+ points on three different occasions during that stretch. 

In the Pacers’ last game, which was an 18-point loss to the Toronto Raptors, Pascal Siakam and Andrew Nembhard did virtually all of the heavy lifting from a scoring perspective with a combined 52 points on the night. Outside of Siakam and Nembhard, though, no member of the Pacers scored more than nine points on the night. So, if the Pistons can shut down Siakam and Nembhard and force the other players on the Pacers to make shots, then it could be another long night at the office for Indiana. 

READ MORE: Dynamism In Detroit: Ausar Thompson Brings Speed, Bounce To Pistons Squad

Player To Watch: Cade Cunningham

To nobody’s surprise, the Detroit Pistons are a completely different team when Cade Cunningham is in the lineup– for the better. This season, Cunningham has drawn the fourth-most and-one opportunities in the NBA this season, so Detroit’s All-Star point guard has been getting to the line quite often, which helps explain why the Pistons free throw trips were down over the last two games. 

Apart from his ability to create free points at the line, Cunningham controls the pace and tempo of the game like few other point guards in the association. With the highest fourth quarter scoring average in the NBA, Cunningham has shown a penchant for winning the game down the stretch for the Pistons, and his leadership is an invaluable quality that Detroit would happily welcome back into the lineup against the Pacers. 

Prediction: Indiana Pacers 95, Detroit Pistons 112

The Pistons have played as well as anyone in the NBA as of late, but Detroit has needed to get healthy. Both Cunningham and Duren have had the past two games off to rest, so hopefully they are feeling well enough to play on Monday night against a battered and beaten Pacers squad. 

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 Sports - Michigan Men Media on Facebook for continued social media coverage of all the sporting teams in the Mitten.