Detroit @ Chicago preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 1, 2019 ) Detroit 106, Chicago 112

Things aren't going very well for the Detroit Pistons, who are losers of four in a row and are allowing opponents an average of 112.2 points. The Chicago Bulls, who host the Pistons on Wednesday, are going through their own struggles with three consecutive setbacks but are more focused on improving on the other end of the floor.

Detroit had four days off after a 109-106 loss at Charlotte on Friday and knew exactly what the focus would be on with the extra practice time. "Defense. We've got to get our defense going," Pistons coach Dwane Casey told reporters. "Our offense right now is ahead of our defense and it still has a ways to go, learning each other and finding a way." The work Detroit put into practice should be on display against the Bulls, who go into play on Tuesday 29th in the NBA in team field goal percentage at 42.4 percent and managed a total of two points in the final six minutes of a 115-101 home loss to Milwaukee on Monday. "It was kind of a sloppy, grind-it-out third quarter, and we got to the last five minutes ... and I thought they ratcheted up their defense," Chicago coach Jim Boylen told reporters. "And I don't think we played as well the last five minutes as we had played throughout the game."

TV: 8 p.m. ET, FS Detroit, NBCS Chicago

ABOUT THE PISTONS (4-9): Detroit is leaving its defense out of position far too often thanks to an offense averaging 16.9 turnovers. The Pistons gave the ball away 21 times in the loss at Charlotte on Friday - leading to 27 points - as stars Derrick Rose, Andre Drummond and Blake Griffin combined for 14 giveaways. "I like our team, the heart that we showed to get back in after they took the lead," Casey told reporters. "We made our run down the stretch, but turnovers are our bugaboo. We played well enough to win, but you cannot give up 27 points on turnovers."

ABOUT THE BULLS (4-9): Forward Lauri Markkanen and guard Zach LaVine combined to go 6-of-28 from the field in Monday's loss and LaVine (11 points) was the only starter to score in double figures. Markkanen is shooting 36.2 percent on the season while LaVine sits at 41.9, but neither is blaming Boylen's offense. "Today I got open shots," LaVine told reporters after Monday's setback. "Lauri got open shots. We try to play the system. Obviously, I'm going to take a couple tough contested ones every once in a while. As a group we've had good shots, and we haven't been knocking them down consistently these last 13 games. We've got to knock them down."

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Pistons SG Tony Snell (hip flexor) is questionable.

2. Bulls PF Luke Kornet underwent sinus surgery on Monday and will be out at least a week.

3. Chicago made 16-of-40 3-pointers in a 112-106 home win over Detroit on Nov. 1.

PREDICTION: Pistons 108, Bulls 104