Detroit @ Golden State preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 12, 2017 ) Detroit 107, Golden State 127

The Golden State Warriors may be in the midst of a three-game winning streak, but uncharacteristic mistakes and early exits from some of the best players over the last week have resulted in less than dominant play from the defending champions. The Warriors attempt to wrap up a perfect three-game homestand Sunday when they host the Detroit Pistons.

Kevin Durant finished with 31 points, 11 rebounds and six assists to help Golden State rally from an 18-point third-quarter deficit in Friday's 120-117 victory over Washington - a game which saw Draymond Green and Bradley Beal hit the showers early following a scuffle late in the first half. Stephen Curry and Durant were also tossed late in last Saturday's loss at Memphis, while the defense (114.2 points allowed per game) and rebounding (17 offensive boards surrendered Wednesday versus Toronto) have emerged as areas of concern. The Pistons are riding high after kicking off their three-game California road trip by knocking off the NBA's only remaining undefeated team Saturday, upending the Los Angeles Clippers 95-87 for their second straight victory. Andre Drummond posted 15 points and a season-high 17 rebounds for his fourth consecutive double-double for Detroit, which held the Clippers 15 points below their previous season-low offensive output.

TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, NBA TV, FSN Detroit, NBCSN Bay Area (Golden State)

ABOUT THE PISTONS (4-2): Although he was limited to 12 points over 20 minutes while dealing with foul trouble Saturday, Tobias Harris (21.7 points) appears to be on the verge of a breakout season as the 25-year-old forward matched a career high with 34 points in Wednesday's win against Minnesota and has already scored at least 27 three times. Langston Galloway picked up the slack late in Harris' absence versus the Clippers, scoring 11 of his 13 points during a five-minute span in the fourth quarter. Reggie Bullock made his season debut after serving his five-game suspension for violating the NBA's drug policy but played only seven minutes, finishing with one point and missing both his field-goal attempts.

ABOUT THE WARRIORS (4-2): In addition to posting his second double-double of the season and scoring at least 20 points in every contest so far, Durant swatted a pair of shots Friday and is averaging 2.7 blocks - 1.1 more than his career-high 1.6 last season. Green's ejection cleared the way for a solid performance off the bench from David West, who scored a season-high 16 points on 8-of-9 shooting in 15 minutes. Kevon Looney saw action for the first time in five games and also made a case for more playing time, connecting on all four of his field-goal attempts - including a pair of dunks in the fourth quarter to help Golden State complete its comeback.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Of the four players to receive ejections this season, three of them are Warriors (Curry, Durant and Green).

2. After averaging 8.5 points on a combined 7-of-18 from the field over his first two games, Drummond is scoring 16.3 points per game on 27-of-40 shooting over his last four outings.

3. Golden State has rallied from 15-plus deficits 15 times in the last four seasons - a total that ranks second only to the Raptors (16) in that span.

PREDICTION: Warriors 118, Pistons 109