Pistons vs Hornets preview: Detroit looks to win third straight for first time since 2021-2022

The Detroit Pistons have not won three games in a row since April 3, 2022, when they scratched together a few meaningless wins at the end of the year, en route to a woeful 17-65 season. They’ll have an opportunity to put together an actual win streak tonight against the Charlotte Hornets, who are coming off a third straight loss.

While a three-game win streak may not be anything to write home about, for a team that was in the midst of a 28-game losing streak come this time last year, a win tonight would mean more to the Detroit Pistons than probably any other team in the league.

Game Vitals

When: 7:00 p.m. ET
Where: Spectrum Center, Charlotte, NC
Watch: FanDuel Sports Network Detroit
Odds: Pistons +1.5

Analysis

The Charlotte Hornets have been stung by the injury bug to kick off their 2024-25 season. Their incumbent starting center, Mark Williams, has yet to suit up this season as he’s been battling a foot injury that he sustained prior to the start of training camp.

More bad news came yesterday with the update that backup center Nick Richards fractured a rib in their game against the Boston Celtics this past Friday, making him unavailable for the next few weeks. The Hornets are extremely thin at center, cobbling together minutes with Grant Williams and Taj Gibson, but that position will likely have to be addressed at some point if they’re to keep their season afloat.

Over their last four games, the Hornets have allowed nearly 53 paint points and 16 second-chance points per game, which rank them in the bottom third of the league over that span. The Hornets have lost three straight games by double digits and currently boast the league’s worst defense, as they’re allowing 119 points per 100 possessions. This is completely understandable given their fragility at the center position.

If the Pistons are able to find a way to win their third straight game for the first time in 948 days, one would guess that painted area on the floor will have a lot do with that result.

Detroit will look to exploit the paint against the hobbled Hornets. They currently rank 11th in second-chance points (15.5 per game) and 9th overall in team rebounding. Also, Cade Cunningham (186 points scored) and Jaden Ivey (157 points scored) both rank in the top 20 amongst all guards in paint points so far this season.

Cunningham and Ivey have put together as good a campaign as one could ask for to kick-start the 2024-25 season, and they’re coming off one of their most impressive games as a two-some thus far in their careers. It’s more than a ray of hope, it’s the light all Pistons fans have wanted to see, but it takes more than a couple of games to prove a concept. Here’s to them building off Monday’s win and taking this positive momentum into a very winnable stretch of games coming up.