Washington @ Detroit preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 16, 2019 ) Washington 133, Detroit 119

The Detroit Pistons limped into their Christmas break with a five-game losing streak and a series of nagging injuries to key players. The Pistons will try to come out of the two-day break strong when they host the Washington Wizards on Thursday.

Detroit is shuffling its lineups with Blake Griffin (knee), Christian Wood (knee), Derrick Rose (knee), Bruce Brown (calf) and Luke Kennard (knee) all missing time recently, and the lack of cohesion was evident on the defensive end in Monday's 125-108 home loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. "I think it starts with transition defense," Griffin told reporters after the Pistons allowed the 76ers to shoot 54.7 percent from the floor while being outrebounded 51-40. "I feel we've gotten mismatched a lot of times in transition defense and you're guarding somebody you're not used to guarding, you're in a position you're not used to being in and we've let guys get to the offensive boards." The Wizards are dealing with their own injury issues but managed to snap a three-game slide with a 121-115 triumph at the New York Knicks on Monday. "We did a good job coming out, playing hard, not worrying about who we had, who was on the floor, and not worried about who is playing for them because we know they had a few guys out, too," Washington guard Bradley Beal told reporters. "We just played our style and got the win."

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

ABOUT THE WIZARDS (9-20): Washington was without guards Isaiah Thomas (suspension) and Jordan McRae (finger), forwards Davis Bertans (quad) and Mortiz Wagner (ankle) and center Thomas Bryant (foot) on Monday but signed guard Gary Payton II out of the G League and got a big boost off the bench from Troy Brown Jr. Payton played 34 minutes in his team debut and collected 10 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and six steals while Brown scored a career-high 26 points while adding nine rebounds and seven assists. "I feel like that is something I am capable of all the time," Brown told reporters. "For me, it's about going back and watching film and picking and choosing when to be aggressive and what's a bad shot and what's a good play for me. As I've been playing, I've just been aggressive and then letting everything else handle itself."

ABOUT THE PISTONS (11-20): Griffin, Wood and Rose all returned to the lineup on Monday after missing some time and Griffin struggled while going 2-of-14 from the floor while Wood was limited to four minutes off the bench. "Eleven and 20 is not good," Detroit coach Dwane Casey told reporters. "We need every hand on deck. I applaud Blake for going tonight. All the guys for going tonight. Christian Wood is not 100 percent. He went tonight. We need all hands on deck at 11 and 20. There’s no magic wand. It’s going to be grind it out, game by game, to get back in this." Center Andre Drummond led the way with 27 points on Monday after being relegated to a reserve role as punishment for missing shootaround.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Pistons PG Tim Frazier is 8-of-11 from the floor over the last two games.

2. Thomas will serve the last of a two-game suspension for confronting a fan in the stands at Philadelphia.

3. Washington took each of the first two meetings, including a 133-119 win at Detroit on Dec. 16.

PREDICTION: Wizards 126, Pistons 118