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The Detroit Pistons will end their five-game road trip in the 2020-21 NBA with a clash against the New Orleans Pelicans at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans.
In their last outing on Tuesday, the Detroit Pistons beat the Orlando Magic 105-93, thanks to a 21-point outing by rookie Saben Lee.
Meanwhile, the New Orleans Pelicans are coming off a win, recovering from 24 points down to beat the Boston Celtics 120-115 in overtime on Sunday. Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson led the way for the Pelicans, scoring 33 and 28 points, respectively.
Match Details
Fixture - Detroit Pistons vs New Orleans Pelicans | 2020-21 NBA Season.
Date & Time - Wednesday, February 23rd; 8:00 PM ET (Thursday, February 24th; 6:30 AM IST).
Venue - Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, LA.
Detroit Pistons Preview
It took rookie Saben Lee to salvage the Detroit Pistons’ road trip; they can still make it a successful one with a win over the New Orleans Pelicans.
But it will be a tired Pistons team that will take the floor at the Smoothie King Center, as they would have played on back-to-back nights and in their third game in four nights.
Coach Dwane Casey will have to manage the minutes of his best players to avoid a letdown in intensity. Jerami Grant is expected to lead the Detroit Pistons, but he will need major contributions from Josh Jackson, Saddiq Bey and Wayne Ellington.
Key Player - Jerami Grant
Without veterans and former All-Stars Blake Griffin and Derrick Rose, Jerami Grant will have to rely on a few young players to help the Detroit Pistons continue their winning run.
Grant is averaging 23.5 points and 5.1 rebounds per game this season, but he was not named as a reserve for the midseason spectacle.
The Detroit Pistons’ 9-22 record on the season, the worst in the Eastern Conference, may have a lot to do with the lack of recognition for Grant, who is enjoying a career campaign.
The 26-year-old forward will come up against the New Orleans Pelicans' Brandon Ingram in a marquee matchup on the night.
Detroit Pistons Predicted Lineup
G Dennis Smith Jr., G Wayne Ellington, F Jerami Grant, F Saddiq Bey, C Mason Plumlee.
New Orleans Pelicans Preview
The overtime win over the Boston Celtics was as much relief as it was joyous for the New Orleans Pelicans.
They entered the contest after losing two of their four-game homestand; they were on their way to losing their third before the New Orleans Pelicans came storming back from a 24-point deficit in the third quarter.
Against the Detroit Pistons, the New Orleans Pelicans will hope to make it an even 2-2 at home in their four-game set. The Pistons will, however, want to slow down the pace after playing three consecutive games on the road.
Key Player - Brandon Ingram
After a strong start to the season, Brandon Ingram has had quite a few underwhelming outings in the past few weeks.
Since January 30, Ingram has had four games where he shot between 30 to 36.7% from the floor; unsurprisingly, the New Orleans Pelicans lost all four matches.
After three consecutive drop-offs in scoring, the 23-year old seemed to have regained his touch in his last two games, where he had a 33-point outing against the Celtics.
The New Orleans Pelicans will hope for a steady performance from Ingram to beat the Detroit Pistons.
New Orleans Pelicans Predicted Lineup
G Lonzo Ball, G Eric Bledsoe, F Brandon Ingram, F Zion Williamson, C Steven Adams.
Pistons vs Pelicans Match Prediction
While it’s easy to dismiss the Detroit Pistons, who are lacking in star power, they are one of the scrappiest teams in the league. The well-rested New Orleans Pelicans will have a fight on their hands if they don’t take the Pistons seriously.
The key for the New Orleans Pelicans will be to control the pace and manage their turnovers against a travel-weary Detroit Pistons team. Moreover, the Detroit Pistons will be missing a couple of players due to injury, which makes the New Orleans Pelicans favorites to take the win.
Where to watch Pistons vs Pelicans?
The game between Detroit Pistons and New Orleans Pelicans will be shown locally on FOX Sports Detroit and FOX Sports New Orleans. The matchup can also be live-streamed on the NBA League Pass.
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