The Detroit Pistons host the Los Angeles Clippers at Little Caesars Arena on Saturday, Jan. 10 at 7:30 PM ET.
The Pistons come in at 28-9 (1st in the East), while the Clippers sit at 14-23 (11th in the West).
Last time out, the Pistons beat the Bulls 108-93 to keep rolling.
The Clippers just handled the Nets 121-105 behind a James Harden heater.
This is Game 2 of the season series. The Clippers took Game 1 at home, 112-99, so the Pistons have a clean chance to clap back and even it up.
Cade Cunningham has been the engine at 26.7 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 9.7 assists this season, and Jalen Duren has put up 17.9 points and 10.6 rebounds.
On the other side, Kawhi Leonard is still doing Kawhi things at 27.9 points per game, while Harden sits at 25.8 points and 8.0 assists.
The Pistons are chasing a statement win. The Clippers are chasing oxygen.
Injury Report
Pistons
Tobias Harris: Out (left hip sprain)
Jalen Duren: Out (right ankle sprain)
Cade Cunningham: Questionable (right wrist contusion)
Isaiah Stewart: Questionable (illness)
Isaac Jones: Available
Bobi Klintman: Available
Clippers
Bradley Beal: Out (left hip fracture)
Bogdan Bogdanovic: Out (left hamstring, injury management)
Derrick Jones Jr.: Out (right knee sprain)
Chris Paul: Out (not with team)
Kawhi Leonard: Questionable (right ankle sprain)
Why The Pistons Have The Advantage
They play like a top seed for a reason. The Pistons score 118.5 points per game and give up only 111.6, that’s a real gap before we even get into matchups.
They also win the “basic math” parts of basketball most nights. They shoot 48.2% from the field, they rebound at 46.1 per game, and they move it at 26.8 assists. When that offense hums, it doesn’t rely on one gimmick.
Now stack that against a Clippers defense allowing 114.2 points per game. If the Pistons get to their spots early, the Clippers are going to spend the whole night scrambling and trading twos for threes.
The other big thing, home vibes matter here. The Pistons have handled business at home (14-3), and this feels like the exact kind of “keep the standard” game good teams win even if a couple guys get banged up.
Why The Clippers Have The Advantage
The Clippers’ best argument is simple: shot-making and star power. They hit 36.8% from three as a team, and if Kawhi suits up, they’ll have two high-level creators who can win possessions late.
They also don’t need to play perfect to hang around if Harden controls the tempo. He’s at 25.8 points and 8.0 assists, and when he starts hunting matchups and living at the line, he can turn a road game into a half-court grind.
And they’re coming in feeling good. They just smoked the Nets 121-105, and they’ve played better ball lately than their record screams. If they bring that same juice and the Pistons come out flat, this gets annoying fast.
X-Factors
Ausar Thompson is the Pistons swing piece for me. He’s at 11.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.5 assists, and he can straight-up wreck your comfort with his activity. If he turns this into a deflections game and runs the floor, the Pistons get easy points that break the Clippers’ will.
Isaiah Stewart is another one, especially with his status up in the air. He’s averaging 10.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, and a nasty 2.1 blocks. If he plays and controls the paint as a roamer, the Clippers’ rim pressure gets a lot less fun.
And yeah, Jalen Duren matters even if he doesn’t suit up. He’s at 17.9 points and 10.6 rebounds, and his absence changes everything about how the Pistons finish possessions and protect the rim. If he sits, the Pistons need gang rebounding and more “hit first” physicality from the committee.
For the Clippers, Ivica Zubac is the loudest non-star key. He’s giving them 14.9 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 2.5 assists, and the Pistons’ frontcourt injuries could hand him a real advantage. If he eats on the glass, the Clippers can survive misses and keep the game close.
John Collins has sneaky value in this matchup too. He’s at 13.0 points and 4.9 rebounds, and he’s one of their cleaner “finish the play” guys, especially if the Pistons overload on Kawhi and Harden. If Collins hits a couple spot threes and dives hard, the Clippers’ offense looks way less predictable.
And keep an eye on Jordan Miller as a wildcard minutes guy. He’s only at 5.1 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.1 assists, but if the Clippers are down bodies, any random 10-point burst matters.
Prediction
I’m riding with the Pistons. They’ve been the more stable team all season, they score at a higher level, and the Clippers are walking in with a brutal injury list plus the Kawhi question hovering over everything.
Prediction: Pistons 118, Clippers 109
