At 23-40, Detroit’s shot of making the playoffs seems to slip away with every game. The Pistons, now nine games behind eighth place Milwaukee, could desparately use a win to keep any playoff hopes alive.
The Dallas Mavericks (27-33) haven’t been very spectacular, either. After struggling at the start of the season without injured forward Dirk Nowitzki, the Mavs have gone 14-17 since his return in December.
O.J. Mayo leads Dallas with 17.3 points per game, and Nowitzki has poured in 20 points in three of the last five games.
Brandon Knight has emerged for the Pistons as of late, averaging 19.8 points per game over the past five games. Greg Monroe, averaging 16.1 points and 9.5 assists on the seasons, returns to the lineup after missing Wednesday’s loss to the Knicks.
-Without the services of Andre Drummond, the Pistons have struggled mightily, going 5-9 since Drummond sustained a stress fracture in his back against New York on February 4th
-The Pistons will again be without head coach Lawrence Frank, whose wife was hospitalized in New Jersey earlier this week. Brian Hill will take over as head coach for the second consecutive game.
In addition to Monroe, Charlie Villanueva will return to the lineup after missing Wednesday’s game with a hamstring injury.
Shawn Marion (calf), the Mavericks’ leading rebounder on the season, is inactive tonight.
Former Central Michigan Chippewa Chris Kaman returns to the Palace tonight. The Grand Rapids native averages 11.8 points and 6.0 rebounds for the Mavericks this season.
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