The LA Clippers host the Detroit Pistons at Intuit Dome on December 28, with a 6:00 PM local tip (9:00 PM ET). And yeah, the records make this feel like a mismatch on paper: the Pistons are 24-7 and sitting in the East’s top tier, while the Clippers are 9-21 and buried near the bottom of the West.
This is their first meeting of the season, with the series opener starting tonight.
The star power is real on both sides. Cade Cunningham has been playing like a problem all season, averaging 26.5 points, 9.6 assists, and 6.3 rebounds. On the other side, Kawhi Leonard is at 26.2 points and 6.3 rebounds, and James Harden has been right there at 26.3 points with 8.0 assists.
Injury Report
Clippers
Bradley Beal: Out (left hip fracture)
Bogdan Bogdanovic: Out (left hamstring injury management)
Chris Paul: Out (not with team)
Ivica Zubac: Out (left ankle sprain)
Cam Christie: Questionable (left ankle sprain)
Pistons
Isaac Jones: Out (G League)
Bobi Klintman: Out (G League)
Wendell Moore Jr.: Out (G League)
Tolu Smith: Out (G League)
Why The Clippers Have The Advantage
The Clippers’ advantage is that they still have the two guys who can drag a game into deep water and steal it anyway. Kawhi and Harden can create a decent shot at basically any moment, and when they get hot, it doesn’t matter what your game plan says.
Even in a messy season overall, the Clippers have shown flashes lately. Kawhi just dropped a season-high 41 points in a blowout win over the Rockets, and Harden piled on 29. That matters because it’s proof the ceiling still exists, especially at home, especially if the supporting cast hits open threes.
The other thing is pace control. The Clippers play slow, 96.5 pace, and they’re comfortable turning this into a “first team to execute in the half-court wins” type of game. That’s the exact style that can neutralize a team that wants to run. If the Clippers keep their turnovers down and force the Pistons to score against a set defense every trip, the talent gap shrinks.
Now, the ugly part: the overall team numbers are not pretty. The Clippers score 111.5 points per game, and their net rating sits at -4.6, which is near the bottom of the league. But that’s also why they’re dangerous in a single game. Nobody expects them to win, so if Kawhi and Harden come out throwing haymakers early, the whole building gets loud and it turns into a stress test for the Pistons.
Why The Pistons Have The Advantage
The Pistons have the advantage because they play like a top team, not a cute story. Their offense sits at a 117.8 offensive rating, they score 119.5 points per game, and they push a 100.76 pace that keeps pressure on you all night. That tempo matters against a Clippers team that would much rather slow the game down and live in half-court possessions.
It’s not just “run fast,” either. The Pistons do a lot of the little stuff that travels: they average 10.0 steals per game, they generate a ton of extra possessions, and they defend at an elite level with a 110.3 defensive rating. If the Pistons turn this into a turnover game, the Clippers are going to spend the night scrambling in transition, which is basically the last thing you want when your lineup is already shorthanded.
And Cade is the engine that makes all of this feel sustainable. He’s not just racking up points, he’s organizing the offense, manipulating matchups, and creating clean looks without needing everything to be perfect. Jalen Duren adds the physical edge inside with 18.3 points and 10.8 rebounds, and that’s huge in a game where the Clippers could be missing their primary interior anchor.
The Pistons also come in hot. They just put up 136 in a win over the Kings, shot 53.7% from the field, and hit 43.8% from three. When this team sees a few shots fall early, the pace turns into an avalanche.
Clippers vs. Pistons Prediction
I’m picking the Pistons. The profile is too strong, the pace is too aggressive, and Cade has been too steady to bet against in this kind of spot. The Clippers can absolutely make it uncomfortable if Kawhi and Harden go vintage, but over 48 minutes I trust the Pistons’ defense and tempo to win the math.
Prediction: Pistons 118, Clippers 111
