The Detroit Pistons hope to continue enjoying their holiday away from home as they aim for a third straight road win on Thursday night against the host Sacramento Kings.
Last season’s losingest team appeared to have a challenging schedule with a four-game Western swing sandwiching Christmas. The opponents—the Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Lakers, Kings, and Denver Nuggets—all finished with winning records during the 2023-24 campaign.
However, the Pistons have defied expectations, bouncing back from a loss to the Utah Jazz in their last home game to beat the Suns 133-125 and the Lakers 117-114 before settling into a California Christmas without snow.
Now it’s back to work for what could be the softest landing spot on the trip. The Kings have opened a five-game homestand with four consecutive losses, most recently falling 122-95 to the Indiana Pacers on Sunday.
The Pistons have displayed a balanced attack out West. Jaden Ivey, Tim Hardaway Jr., Malik Beasley, and Simone Fontecchio all scored in double figures in both wins. Jalen Duren put up a double-double in Phoenix (17 points, 11 rebounds), and Ronald Holland II posted 10 points in Los Angeles. But as Detroit owner Tom Gores noted while watching the win over the Lakers, everything revolves around Cade Cunningham, who notched 28 points and 13 assists against the Suns before piling up 20 points and 10 assists against Los Angeles.
In Sacramento, the Pistons might encounter a particularly hostile crowd—hostile toward the home team, that is. The Kings heard rare hometown boos while facing the Pacers in what was their most lopsided loss of the season—home or away.
Kings fans probably expect more than wins; they expect points. Sacramento had averaged 120.6 points in 10 games—going 5-5 over that stretch—before going for 100, 99, and 95 points in three straight losses (the first two against the Los Angeles Lakers). Especially off the mark lately have been Malik Monk, who has gone just 6-for-27 on 3-pointers over the past three games, and DeMar DeRozan, who has averaged just 8.0 points on 9-for-30 shooting during that span.
Monk insisted it’ll take team play, not individuals looking to improve their numbers, to turn things around.
This matchup promises to be an intriguing battle as the Pistons aim to continue their winning streak and the Kings look to rebound from their recent struggles.
