Playing in Detroit after a brief road trip, the Pistons are red-hot after fending off the Grizzlies for an eight-point road win on Monday. That victory marked Detroit’s third consecutive victory, and it wouldn’t have been possible without a sensational fourth quarter from Cade Cunningham.

With the game on the line, Detroit’s star point guard filled up the hoop to the tune of 19 points in the fourth to help the Pistons put the game on ice. Cunningham finished the contest with 33 points and 10 assists, but his dominant effort in the final quarter to secure the win stole the show.

But not to be outdone, Isaiah Stewart posted a huge double-double in a cameo spot-start, filling the role of an injured Tobias Harris on the night. Stewart finished with 26 points, 14 rebounds, four blocks and a pair of three-pointers in the start, and he was an offensive aberration for the Pistons in the win.

Injuries

Last time out, Detroit had to play without Harris, who had started each of the Pistons’ six games up to that point, and Marcus Sasser was ruled out due to a lingering right hip impingement. Based on recent statements from Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, Sasser is moving around during practice, but he’s not able to feel healthy for long enough to give it a go during a game situation– not yet. Harris, on the other hand, is nursing a sprained ankle that has ruled him out for tonight. And as has become customary in the early part of the season for the Pistons, guard Jaden Ivey will not be available as he continues to recover from arthroscopic knee surgery.

According to ESPN, the Utah Jazz will enter tonight’s matchup a little under the weather. Center Walker Kessler, who’s been averaging 14 points and 10 rebounds per game for the Jazz this season, is currently battling a shoulder injury and is expected to be out until Nov. 10. Then Georges Niang, a reserve forward for Utah, is recovering from a foot injury, and he’s expected to return the same day as Kessler. 

Update: ESPN's Shams Charania reported that Kessler is going to undergo season-ending surgery on his left shoulder, so he most certainly will not be available for the game tonight.

Jazz News

Entering Wednesday, the Jazz stand at 3-4 on the season and are most recently coming off a narrow 105-103 victory over the Boston Celtics on the road. In that matchup, the Jazz were forced to play from behind but put up 38 points in the third quarter as Keyonte George scored 31 points in the narrow win. However, the Jazz lost three straight games before notching that victory over the Celtics, it’s been a bumpy start to the season for Utah. 

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From a larger view, the Jazz are the top rebounding team in the entire NBA this year, snagging 49.6 boards per game, so the Pistons’ big man rotation of Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart will have their work cut out for them in the low post tonight. 

Player To Watch: Isaiah Stewart

Beef Stew, as he’s affectionately known, is in top form at the moment. Playing against the Grizzlies, Stewart logged a career-high 26 points to go along with 14 rebounds and four blocks in the win. The Detroit bruiser is expected to continue handling a larger workload as Harris recovers from his ankle injury, so more minutes will be on the table for Beef Stew to utilize.

Stewart has looked like one of the bright spots for the Pistons so far this season. The Pistons vet is blocking shots at a high rate, and he’s even added a dangerous outside shot to his game as of late, so Beef Stew presents a quite useful dynamic quality with his inside-outside game. 

Prediction: Utah Jazz 101, Detroit Pistons 116

The Jazz have not broken the 105-point threshold in three straight games, and that should not change against the Pistons tonight. Detroit has found news ways to win each night out recently, and a rotation of different players have stepped up as a catalyst in those victories. Most often, Cunningham has led the way, but both Stewart and Duren have played pivotal roles recently. And that's not to undersell Ausar Thompson, who can fill virtually any role on the court. When working in concert, the Pistons can compete with any team in the league, and they should push their winning streak to four games after facing the Jazz. 

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