NBA Preview from The Sports Network
Wednesday, November 21st
(All times eastern)
Detroit Pistons (2-9) at Orlando Magic (3-7), 7 p.m.
(Sports Network) - Are the Detroit Pistons beginning to hit their stride?
The Pistons have scored 100-plus points in back-to-back games and sport two
wins in the past three games. They will try to exact revenge on an Orlando
Magic team that recently pounded them when the two teams clash Wednesday from
Amway Center.
Detroit started a franchise-worst 0-8 and broke the streak of futility with a
94-76 win at Philadelphia last week. The Pistons fell back into the loss
column versus Orlando on Friday, before rebounding with a 103-83 demolition of
the Boston Celtics. Greg Monroe led the way with 20 points and 13 rebounds,
while Jason Maxiell had 15 points.
Kyle Singler and Rodney Stuckey scored 14 points apiece for the Pistons, who
shot a season-high 54.2 percent for the game and scored 23 points off 18
Boston turnovers. Detroit led by as many as 18 points in the third quarter.
"We just played with a lot of intensity tonight," said Monroe, who is
averaging 18.0 points and 11.0 rebounds in his last seven games. "Everybody
played hard and gave maximum effort while they were on the floor for the whole
game."
Monroe has six double-doubles this season. The Pistons will try to win two in
a row for the first time since a three-game run from March 31-April 5 last
season. Singler has been a big hit since coming off the bench and is posting
14.7 ppg in three games as a starter.
Orlando has lost two in a row since defeating Detroit last week and seven of
its previous eight games.
The Magic suffered an 81-72 loss Monday against Atlanta in the finale of a
three-game road trip, as Glen Davis scored 11 points and grabbed seven
rebounds to lead the visitors. Jameer Nelson, E'Twuan Moore, Josh McRoberts
and Moe Harkless added eight points apiece for a Magic team that made only
37.8 percent of its shots and committed 19 turnovers for 24 Hawks points.
"I wish it was running more smoothly right now, but we're going to continue to
work," Magic coach Jacque Vaughn said. "We've shown the ability to focus and
take care of things that weren't right in one game to the next, now we just
have to put it all together at one time."
Orlando was outscored 24-12 in the third quarter and fell to 3-7 on the
season. The Magic will begin a five-game homestand Wednesday versus the
Pistons, Cavaliers, Celtics, Spurs and Nets.
The Magic just recorded a 110-106 road victory against the Pistons and have
won seven of the past 10 meetings in this series. These two teams have split
the last 10 games at Orlando.
11/21 10:36:19 ET

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