Detroit @ Washington preview

Last Meeting ( Feb 11, 2019 ) Washington 112, Detroit 121

Center Andre Drummond is keeping the Detroit Pistons afloat while they await the return of star forward Blake Griffin, and Drummond's next opportunity to put up big numbers comes Monday at the Washington Wizards. The 26-year-old Drummond recorded his third straight 20-20 game in Saturday's 113-109 win over the Brooklyn Nets and he has seven straight double-doubles out of the gate.

The 25-point, 20-rebound, six-assist, five-block effort against the Nets came amid a gutsy performance by a Pistons squad that rallied after a 13-point second quarter. "We were down 14 in the third quarter, but it was nothing but grit and grind to come back the way the guys did," coach Dwane Casey told reporters. "We've got to be that way every night." The Wizards have lost three in a row while giving up an average of 138 points. "We were in a fog," coach Scott Brooks told reporters after Saturday's 131-109 loss to Minnesota -- playing without star center Karl-Anthony Towns -- on Saturday at home. "There's no excuses. It's on me."


TV: 7 p.m. ET, FS Detroit, NBCS Washington

ABOUT THE PISTONS (3-4): Griffin could return soon but the team is not without physical issues elsewhere, as point guard Reggie Jackson will now miss up to four weeks with a back injury. Fellow guards Derrick Rose (hamstring) and Tim Frazier (shoulder) also missed Saturday's win, and Bruce Brown stepped up with career highs of 22 points and seven assists. "It was a game of opportunity for some guys," guard Luke Kennard told reporters. "Bruce, the way he stepped up tonight, he was kind of one of our leaders on the court. So credit to the kid."

ABOUT THE WIZARDS (1-4): Bradley Beal scored 30 points against Minnesota while his fellow starters combined for 17 on 6-of-30 shooting, including a 2-for-11 effort by for standout rookie forward Rui Hachimura. "He'll learn that as he continues to play, the game will slow down for him," Beal told reporters of the Gonzaga product. "Right now it's probably 100 mph." Guard Isaiah Thomas chipped in 16 points in 19 minutes off the bench and is averaging 16.3 through his first three games.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Kennard scored 24 points in Saturday's win.

2. Wizards C Thomas Bryant was 1-for-6 from the floor Saturday and is shooting 44.2 percent after posting a 61.6 percent mark last season.

3. The home team won the last four meetings.

PREDICTION: Pistons 115, Wizards 113