Detroit @ Utah preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 14, 2019 ) Detroit 94, Utah 100

The surging Utah Jazz hope to follow up a confidence-building victory against one of the league’s best teams by taking care of business against the visiting Detroit Pistons on Monday night. The Jazz have won seven of their last eight contests after holding the Los Angeles Clippers to just 15 points in the fourth quarter of a 120-107 triumph as Donovan Mitchell scored 30 to lead the way.

“This shows a lot about who we are,” Mitchell told reporters after totaling 65 points in his last two contests. “We obviously had a rough patch (1-5 from Nov. 25-Dec. 5), but we’ve come a long way and really picked it up. It’s a big win, but it’s only December and we’ve got to keep it going.” Utah led the league in 3-point shooting percentage (38.9) entering Sunday and will go for a seventh straight victory over Detroit, which has dropped six of its past seven contests after giving up 18 threes to open a six-game trip with a 136-109 setback against San Antonio. The Pistons, who are 4-11 on the road, allowed the Spurs to shoot 57 percent from the field overall and surrendered 77 points in the second half. “I thought we competed hard until (the third quarter) and then the avalanche hit, and ... we didn’t bounce back,” Detroit coach Dwane Casey told reporters. “That was the disappointing thing.”

TV: 9 p.m. ET, FS Detroit, AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain (Utah)

ABOUT THE PISTONS (12-21): Center Andre Drummond has led the way for Detroit, averaging a team-high 18 points and a league-best 16 rebounds after registering 10 double-doubles in his last 11 contests. Veteran guard Derrick Rose poured in 24 points of the bench in the loss at San Antonio - his highest figure since scoring 31 against Philadelphia on Oct. 26 - and is second on the team at 16.7 per contest. Luke Kennard (15.8 points) is expected to miss his fourth straight game with a knee injury and Markieff Morris (10.8) was held out of Saturday’s contest due to a foot injury and is considered day-to-day.

ABOUT THE JAZZ (20-12): Guard Jordan Clarkson scored 19 points, connecting on 7-of-13 from the field Saturday in his second game with the team after being acquired from Cleveland for Dante Exum. “These guys are just talking to me, a lot, just giving me pointers on calls and everything so that’s helping me come along fast,” Clarkson told reporters after totaling 28 points in his first two games with Utah. “I know it’s just basically Day 2 for me, but yeah, it’s a good one.” Center Rudy Gobert is third in the league in rebounding (14.1) through Saturday, and boasts 14 double-doubles in the past 15 contests.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Detroit PF Blake Griffin averages 15.5 points overall, but is just 10-for-41 from the field his last three games.

2. Utah SF Joe Ingles is averaging 22.7 points while draining 18-of-30 shots from behind the arc in his past three contests.

3. Pistons SG Langston Galloway scored 15 points Saturday - the most he produced in his last nine games.

PREDICTION: Jazz 120, Pistons 102