East-best Pistons put win streak up against sagging Pacers

Sun Nov 16 2:18pm ET
Field Level Media

The Detroit Pistons have continued their rise, while the Indiana Pacers are in freefall heading into their matchup on Monday at Detroit.

The Pistons own the Eastern Conference's best record at 11-2 and will seek their 10th straight victory. It's their longest winning streak since the 2007-08 season, the last time they reached the conference finals.

The Pacers are just 1-12 this season and will be looking to snap a seven-game losing streak.

Pistons star Cade Cunningham and several other rotation players missed the past two games. It hasn't mattered as Detroit continues to receive contributions throughout the roster.

Two-way player Daniss Jenkins epitomizes what the Pistons' unheralded players have done in the past week. He has averaged 20.3 points, 7.7 assists and 5.0 rebounds in the last three games.

"I'm trying not to feed into it too much, but you want to soak it all up and take it all in," Jenkins said. "But I don't know man, I'm just trying to find my way. That's all I'm trying to do. I'm just trying to keep going and show what I've been knowing I'm capable of."

Javonte Green enjoyed his best game of the season in a 114-105 home win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday with a team-high 21 points. Two days earlier, Paul Reed racked up 28 points, 13 rebounds, six assists and four steals in a wire-to-wire victory over Chicago.

"I'm not surprised. Like I said, the character of our guys leads me to believe that they can do anything," Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. "The trust that they have in one another. They've just got a nastiness to them, and that's the fun part about our group.

"They like it when it gets thick. They like it when it gets messy and it gets ugly. That's where they thrive, and we like to take people there. We like to push people's buttons and see how they respond."

The last time the Pistons won 10 straight contests occurred on Jan. 23-Feb. 13, 2008.

The Pacers are also injury-riddled, starting with Tyrese Haliburton after his Achilles injury in last season's NBA Finals. Their lack of cohesion is especially noticeable on the defensive end, while giving up 152, 133 and 129 points in their last three losses.

"We are playing in the NBA, the best league in the world," Pacers forward Pascal Siakam said, according to the Indianapolis Star. "There shouldn't be a reason why you're out there every single night and not giving your best or trying to be the best that you can be and giving it your all. There's thousands and millions of people who would give everything they have to be in the situation that we're in. There's no excuse.

"Obviously, it's been tough on us. We have injuries every single day. Guys are in situations that they're not supposed to be in. But we can't find it as an excuse and just go out there every single night and be like, 'Whatever happens, happens.' It has to matter. We have to fight."

Siakam leads active Pacer players in scoring (24.6), rebounding (7.1) and assists (5.1).

Monday's game is the first of four meetings between the Pacers and Pistons. Indiana has won seven of the last eight meetings over the past two seasons.


IND LogoIndiana Pacers
DET LogoDetroit Pistons

Mon Nov 17 6:00pm CT


Javonte Green, DET4.5 Rebounds4.5Rebounds
13.5 Pts+Rebs13.5Pts+Rebs
Cade Cunningham, DET49.8 Fantasy Points49.8Fantasy Points
27.5 Points27.5Points
9.5 Assists9.5Assists
5.5 Rebounds5.5Rebounds
43.5 Pts+Rebs+Asts43.5Pts+Rebs+Asts
37.5 Pts+Asts37.5Pts+Asts
33.5 Pts+Rebs33.5Pts+Rebs
15.5 Rebs+Asts15.5Rebs+Asts
Duncan Robinson, DET22.4 Fantasy Points22.4Fantasy Points
13.5 Points13.5Points
16.5 Pts+Rebs16.5Pts+Rebs
Isaiah Stewart, DET23.5 Fantasy Points23.5Fantasy Points
9.5 Points9.5Points
6.5 Rebounds6.5Rebounds
16.5 Pts+Rebs16.5Pts+Rebs
Jalen Duren, DET41.8 Fantasy Points41.8Fantasy Points
19.5 Points19.5Points
12.5 Rebounds12.5Rebounds
34.5 Pts+Rebs+Asts34.5Pts+Rebs+Asts
21.5 Pts+Asts21.5Pts+Asts
31.5 Pts+Rebs31.5Pts+Rebs
15.5 Rebs+Asts15.5Rebs+Asts
T.J. McConnell, IND9.5 Points9.5Points
14.5 Pts+Asts14.5Pts+Asts
Andrew Nembhard, IND6.5 Assists6.5Assists
24.5 Pts+Asts24.5Pts+Asts
Pascal Siakam, IND39.0 Fantasy Points39.0Fantasy Points
23.5 Points23.5Points
6.5 Rebounds6.5Rebounds
33.5 Pts+Rebs+Asts33.5Pts+Rebs+Asts
27.5 Pts+Asts27.5Pts+Asts
29.5 Pts+Rebs29.5Pts+Rebs
10.5 Rebs+Asts10.5Rebs+Asts
Isaiah Jackson, IND7.5 Points7.5Points
13.5 Pts+Rebs13.5Pts+Rebs
Bennedict Mathurin, IND22.5 Fantasy Points22.5Fantasy Points
16.5 Points16.5Points
20.5 Pts+Rebs20.5Pts+Rebs

DFS PICKEM


Mon Nov 17

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