Before starting a lengthy West coast swing, the Detroit Pistons took care of business against the Charlotte Hornets at home on Saturday night with a 112-86 win, and the squad is looking to carry that momentum into tonight’s game against Portland. 

This season, the Blazers are 12-16 so far, and they have some considerable work to do before truly entering the playoff picture in the Western Conference. Portland has a couple young, interesting pieces in Shaedon Sharpe and Deni Avdija that have carried the Blazers for much of the year, but they need a few more talented (healthy) players around them to develop into a playoff-caliber squad.

The Pistons, on the other hand, still have a vice grip on the top position in the Eastern Conference with a 22-6 record. Pistons guard Cade Cunningham and center Jalen Duren are both in line to make the All-Star team based on recent results, and Detroit is working on finding the right time to deploy its turnover-causing second unit in each game now that the team is healthy again. That task was no issue for Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff on Saturday, though, as Detroit held Charlotte to just 86 points, which is the team’s low water mark on the season. 

Detroit has experienced a relatively quiet stretch on the injury report after going through a series of impactful absences early in the season. Heading into the Pistons’ last game against the Hornets two nights ago, only Duncan Robinson and Caris LeVert were listed on the injury report with probable designations, and the pair played without restriction against Charlotte. So, the Pistons have a deep bench to draw from tonight against Portland on the road. 

UPDATE: Ron Holland has been downgraded to doubtful for tonight's game.

The Blazers, on the other hand, have a contingent of injuries to manage at the moment with Jrue Holiday, Scoot Henderson and Matisse Thybulle slated to miss tonight’s contest. Former Pistons Jerami Grant is also on the injury report with an Achilles issue, and he should be a game-time decision tonight. 

Entering tonight’s game, the Blazers are riding a three-game winning streak, but this current positive patch comes directly after three consecutive losses. So, Portland is a polarizing team that looks talented when everything is clicking but also has put out a lot of uninspiring, disjointed game tape this season. 

Last time out, Portland faced off against the Kings on the road and left Sacramento with a narrow five-point victory, 98-93. Avdija had an impactful night as the focal point of the Blazers attack with 24 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds, but Sharpe wasn’t far behind with 23 points of his own. It also should not go without mention that Donovan Clingman snagged 14 rebounds in the team’s gutsy victory on the road. 

But without Holiday and Henderson in the rotation, Portland is a bit handcuffed in which offensive actions it can run effectively.  A lot of the responsibility has fallen on Avdija’s shoulders, and while he’s performed admirably of late, the Blazers need the rest of their team to return before thinking about making a serious push for the postseason. 

READ MORE: J.B. Bickerstaff Highlights Defense, Cade Cunningham's Impact After Pistons Defeat Hornets 112-86

Without Holiday and Henderson factoring into the equation, Avdija is going to see a high volume of offense run through him against the Pistons tonight. When the two squads played earlier in December, Avdija went off for 35 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in what was a six-point win for the Pistons. Avdija was a regular at the charity stripe with a 14-for-15 record from the foul line in the matchup.

It will be intriguing to see if Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff chooses to defend Avdija differently this go around, perhaps doubling Avdija before he has an opportunity to drive to the lane. That was his bread and butter during the first meeting a few weeks back, so Detroit’s ability to control or influence Avdija’s dribble-drives will be key. 

With a deeper bench to utilize this time around, the Pistons should have more routes to victory against Portland than in the six-point Detroit win on Dec. 5. The Pistons are playing stingy defense, as expected, at the moment and showcase a lethal two-man game between Cunningham and Duren through the pick and roll, and Detroit should rely on that gameplan tonight. 

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