The Detroit Pistons will face The Cleveland Cavaliers on March 1 (Friday) at Little Caesars Arena. This will be the fourth and final matchup between the two teams this season. The Cavaliers will look for a series sweep against the Pistons. Cleveland is currently in second place in the Eastern Conference with a 38-20 record. Additionally, they will try to bounce back from a tough 132-123 loss to the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday. On the other hand, Detroit is in 14th place in the Eastern Conference with the second-worst record of 9-49. However, they have been more competitive recently and are coming off a 105-95 win over the Bulls.
Preview
The Pistons lost six of their last seven games but could potentially be on a three-game winning streak. Before Tuesday’s win, they lost back-to-back games against the Orlando Magic and New York Knicks. However, Cade Cunningham has led Detroit’s improved play recently with his all-around production. Over his last three games, he has averaged a team-best 28.0 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.7 assists. In addition, the Pistons have received consistent play from Jalen Duren and Simone Fontecchio. Duren is averaging 13.7 points and 12.7 rebounds per game. Fontecchio is averaging 15.3 points and 3.3 3s.
The Cavaliers lost Wednesday’s game, but they have won two of their last three games due to the great offensive play of their star shooting guard, Donovan Mitchell. He is averaging 22 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game over his last three games. However, his scoring average during that span is below his season average of 28.0 points per game. Additionally, Cleveland’s defense continues to be led by Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley.
This season, the Cavaliers are 15th in offensive rating and third in defensive rating. Meanwhile, the Pistons are 25th in offensive rating and 29th in defensive rating. Cleveland might be without Mitchell in the upcoming game as he is questionable due to left knee soreness. In addition, Ty Jerome is listed as out, while Marcus Sasser is out for the Pistons.
Starting lineup
The Cavaliers are expected to start with Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Max Strus, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. If Mitchell is not available, Caris LeVert will take his place.
The Pistons will likely start with Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Ausar Thompson, Isaiah Stewart and Jalen Duren.
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Prediction
While the Pistons have been competitive over the past week, they are still underdogs against the Cavaliers. Detroit’s defense is nowhere near Cleveland’s capability currently. Meanwhile, the Cavaliers are at full strength and will likely win the upcoming game. However, Detroit can still make it a close game and cover the spread.
