Sacramento @ Detroit preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 23, 2017 ) Sacramento 109, Detroit 104

The Detroit Pistons followed up an impressive road trip with a triumphant opener to their five-game homestand and they have a great opportunity to sustain the momentum Saturday against the struggling Sacramento Kings. After a three-game swing that included head-turning victories over the Los Angeles Clippers and Golden State Warriors, the Pistons returned to Little Caesars Arena and topped Milwaukee 105-96 on Friday.

Andre Drummond hit a career-high 14 free throws in 16 attempts en route to a 24-point, 15-rebound performance for Detroit. Drummond, a 38.6 percent shooter at the foul line last season, had made 28-of-36 attempts in 2017-18 as a new stroke has paid big dividends. The Kings have lost six in a row and they've barely been competitive in the last three, losing by an average of 24 points. Just three players landed in double figures - led by Buddy Hield's 17 points - in Wednesday's 113-86 setback at Boston, which outrebounded Sacramento by a 52-26 margin.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, NBCSN California (Sacramento), FSN Detroit

ABOUT THE KINGS (1-7): Hield was brought off the bench Wednesday after he had produced a total of 11 points on 5-of-20 shooting over his previous two games, and he is doing his best to find the positives amid the losing streak. "Despite these losses, I think we're playing better. We're moving the ball, playing with each other," Hield told reporters. "It can mentally break you down. We've just got to be mentally strong each and every day." Sacramento entered Friday ranked 29th in the NBA in scoring (93.1) and made free throws (12.4 per game), and it was tied for last in made 3-pointers (seven per game).

ABOUT THE PISTONS (6-3): Guard Avery Bradley scored 23 points for the second time in his last three games in Friday's win and he's making 41 percent of his 3-pointers on the season. Fellow starter Reggie Jackson slumped to nine points on 3-of-11 shooting but backup Ish Smith continued a torrid stretch with 10 points in 18 minutes off the bench. Smith, who entered Friday shooting 41.4 percent from the field in his 412-game career, is 21-for-28 from the floor over a four-game stretch while averaging 11.5 points.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Sacramento won both meetings last season but the Pistons have claimed six of the last seven over the Kings at home.

2. Jackson is averaging 14.2 points and 6.5 assists in Detroit's six wins, compared to 18.3 and 5.7 in its three losses.

3. Kings SG Garrett Temple is averaging 5.7 points while making 5-of-18 shots over his last three games after producing 23 points in 24 minutes in a loss at Phoenix on Oct. 23.

PREDICTION: Pistons 104, Kings 98