New Orleans @ Detroit preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 9, 2019 ) Detroit 105, New Orleans 103

The New Orleans Pelicans are winners of seven of their last 10 games but are coming off a discouraging loss and will try to bounce back when they visit the Detroit Pistons on Monday. The Pelicans seemed to be making strides at the defensive end before getting run over 140-105 at Boston on Saturday.

New Orleans' recent improvements built up the team's confidence enough that a 35-point loss in which it allowed the Celtics to shoot 55 percent from the floor can serve as a learning experience. "I told the guys, if I'm not mistaken, I think every team in the NBA lost a game by 30 last year," Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry told reporters. "You still have to try and do the right thing; you have to try and get something out of those games, especially the bench players that really don't get the consistent minutes. It gives you the opportunity to step up and almost earn extra minutes by the way you play." The Pistons have had their fair share of discouraging losses and dropped the first two of a three-game homestand as the team's injury situation forces it to transition to a younger lineup. "Young guys are going to make mistakes," Detroit coach Dwane Casey told reporters. "It's up to us as coaches to continue to teach and develop and keep their spirits up and make sure our foundation and culture of hard play stays intact."

TIME: 7 p.m. ET. TV: FS New Orleans, FS Detroit, NBA TV Canada

ABOUT THE PELICANS (14-26): New Orleans was playing the second night of a back-to-back at Boston and was shorthanded with Jrue Holiday (triceps), JJ Redick (hamstring) and Derrick Favors (hamstring) all sitting out. "Being the aggressor, getting around screens," small forward Brandon Ingram told reporters of the defensive issues. "I think the screen and roll was big for us tonight; when they got downhill, we weren't able to recover and box out and rebound. Of course, we're missing three of our guys, our main guys. What can you do? I think some guys stepped up." Jaxson Hayes led the starters with 20 points on 9-of-13 shooting in the loss while Frank Jackson came off the bench and scored a team-high 22 points in 33 minutes.

ABOUT THE PISTONS (14-26): Detroit is missing All-Star forward Blake Griffin (knee) while Markieff Morris (foot) struggled Saturday in his return from a seven-game absence and Andre Drummond was ejected early in the third quarter, leaving the frontcourt minutes to a trio of youngsters. Sekou Doumbouya has taken over Griffin's spot in the starting lineup while Thon Maker and Christian Wood are providing valuable minutes off the bench. "I was really proud of the way Sekou came in and competed," Casey told reporters after Saturday's loss. "He got in foul trouble a little bit, but still he was competing. Thon (Maker), Christian (Wood) - all the young guys came in. You could see the growth in them."

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Pelicans SG Kenrich Williams (back) sat out the last three games and is day-to-day.

2. Pistons PG Derrick Rose scored 20 or more points in each of the last five games.

3. Detroit earned a 105-103 victory at New Orleans on Dec. 9 behind 21 points from Rose.

PREDICTION: Pelicans 121, Pistons 118