On Saturday, the leaders of the conference battled and the Milwaukee Bucks lost. Against a struggling team that they have dominated in recent years, they will attempt to rebound.
The Bucks play Detroit in the third game of a four-game road trip after losing to Denver 129-106. Milwaukee (53-21) has won 16 of the last 17 meetings with its Central Division rival, and if they win, they can win the season series.
Detroit (16-58) has lost 16 of its last 17 games and its last five games.
Although the Bucks defeated Utah by 28 points on Friday night, they were unable to maintain that level of energy and output in the Mile High City. After taking a 66-63 halftime lead, the Bucks were outscored 34-19 and 32-21 in the third and fourth quarters, respectively.
Denver made 15 3-pointers and shot 52.8% from the field. Milwaukee was held to 44.3 percent shooting and associated on only 25% of its 3-point endeavors.
Nikola Jokic scored 31 points, had 11 assists, and pulled down six rebounds for the Nuggets in the competition for the Most Valuable Player award. Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Bucks also had 31 points, nine rebounds, four assists, and four steals.
Over the course of the past month, the Pistons have played with lineups that are down, and the results have been predictable. In their last five games, they’ve lost by at least nine points.
The Raptors defeated them 118-97 in their last game on Friday. Toronto led 72-52 at halftime after scoring 38 points in the first quarter.
Jaden Ivey, a rookie guard, scored 20 points and had eight assists for the Pistons, but he also turned the ball over nine times, resulting in 23 Raptors points.
On Wednesday, the Bucks finish their road trip against Indiana. On Wednesday, the Pistons play Oklahoma City in the first of three road games.
