National Basketball Association
Preview
Portland at Detroit
When: 7:00 PM ET, Monday, January 6, 2025
Where: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, Michigan

The Detroit Pistons can reach the .500 mark with a win over the visiting Portland Trail Blazers on Monday. That would be an achievement for a team that finished 14-68 last season.

Detroit has won three straight games and six of its last seven, including a 119-105 victory over Minnesota on Saturday. Cade Cunningham poured in a season-high 40 points with nine assists to offset Anthony Edwards' career-high 53 points.

"I felt comfortable. My jumper felt good. Really, everything, my teammates, the spacing and everything was great," Cunningham said. "So I felt like as a whole offensively, we were in a good groove. If the team is flowing like that, I think everybody feels good. So it just carried along throughout the game."

Even the loss of Cunningham's backcourt partner, Jaden Ivey, hasn't slowed down the Pistons. They have won both games since Ivey suffered a fractured fibula against Orlando on Wednesday.

Ausar Thompson moved into the starting lineup on Saturday and made a major impact with his defensive effort. He had 10 points, 10 rebounds and a career-high six steals.

"He had (six) steals in the first half. He got deflections, did a good job defensively, helps us play faster," Detroit coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. "That was one of the things versus this team we wanted to do. We knew we needed to play faster and let our athletes kind of run and A.T. did that for us."

Detroit also continues to get major production from sixth man Malik Beasley, He had 23 points and is averaging 16.3 points for the season.

Monday's contest wraps up a four-game homestand for the Pistons, though they will also play two of their next three at home. Portland, meanwhile, is in the middle of a five-game road trip.

The Trail Blazers are also feeling some positive vibes after knocking off Milwaukee 105-102 on Saturday. Anfernee Simons led the team in scoring for the third straight game with 28 points and added eight assists.

"When you play well, you expect to win," Portland coach Chauncey Billups said. "There's a lot of times we play well in games and we just don't come up with it in the end. It just always feels so good to win. We played our behinds off and deserved to win."

Portland ranks in the bottom 10 in many statistical categories, including rebounding. It showed improvement in that area against the Bucks, outrebounding them 55-43.

"I thought our rebounding was elite and high-level (Saturday)," Billups said. "We did a really, really good job on the glass, which gives you an opportunity to get out there and try to get shots up."

Billups was the 2004 Finals Most Valuable Player when the Pistons won their last championship. He was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame last year, and the Pistons will celebrate his Detroit career with a bobblehead giveaway and a video montage.

"I know the atmosphere will be a lot of fun," Billups said. "They've got some things planned for me since I'm going back there for the first time since the Hall of Fame (induction)."

--Field Level Media

Stats and Records
Team Comparison
  W/L Strk Home Away Day Night Div Conf
Portland 12-22 W1 8-8 4-14 2-0 10-22 4-4 10-20
Detroit 17-18 W3 8-8 9-10 1-1 16-17 1-5 12-14
Last Meeting
Portland Detroit
Date Away Home Pts Reb FG% Pts Reb FG%
2/8/24 DET 128 POR 122 122 38 46.1 128 45 48.4
Player Stats
Previous Matchup
Points Player Total FG% FTM
Portland J. Grant 49 48.3 18
Detroit J. Duren 27 60.0 9
Rebounds Player Total Off Def
Portland J. Walker 11 3 8
Detroit J. Duren 22 8 14
Assists Player  
Portland M. Thybulle 7
Detroit M. Sasser 11
Season
Points Player Total FG% FTM
Portland A. Simons 569 41.6 83
Detroit C. Cunningham 813 45.5 118
Rebounds Player Total Off Def
Portland D. Ayton 268 79 189
Detroit J. Duren 329 114 215
Assists Player  
Portland A. Simons 156
Detroit C. Cunningham 326
Quickchart Matchup
Portland Portland Off vs  Detroit Detroit Defense
Portland Off vs Detroit - Points For 107.9 Points For
Portland Off vs Detroit - Points Against 113.7 Points Against
Portland - FG% 44.6 FG%
Detroit - FG% 47.0 FG%
Portland - Reb 43.4 Reb
Detroit - Reb 42.1 Reb
Detroit Detroit Off vs  Portland Portland Defense
Detroit Off vs Portland - Points For 111.8 Points For
Detroit Off vs Portland - Points Against 116.8 Points Against
Detroit - FG% 46.6 FG%
Portland - FG% 48.0 FG%
Detroit - Reb 44.9 Reb
Portland - Reb 44.5 Reb