The Pistons vs Wizards rematch arrives Thursday at 7 p.m. ET at Capital One Arena in Washington, just two days after Detroit beat the Wizards 122-111 on their home floor. The Pistons enter at 7-3 and riding a one-game winning streak, while Washington has dropped four straight and sits at 4-7. The biggest question entering the second meeting of the week is whether a Wizards team already missing four rotation players can slow down a Detroit offense that has outscored opponents by nearly five points per game this season.
Pistons Vs Wizards Game Information
- Date: Thursday, Nov. 12
- Time: 7 p.m. ET
- Venue: Capital One Arena, Washington, DC
- TV: MNMT
- Series: Detroit leads the season series 1-0
Can Washington Solve Its Four-Game Slide?
The Wizards have lost four in a row, including Monday’s 122-111 defeat to Detroit, and three of those losses came by double digits, including a 139-132 shootout loss at Atlanta and a 114-75 blowout at Oklahoma City. Washington is 4-7 overall and sits 2.5 games back in the Southeast Division. Anthony Davis leads the team at 25.7 points and 9.7 rebounds per game, and Trae Young paces the offense with 8.7 assists per game, but the supporting cast has thinned out considerably over the past two weeks.
Who Is Out For The Wizards?
Washington’s injury report lists four players out entirely: forward Tristan Vukcevic (left torso hip, pinched nerve, targeted return Nov. 16), guard Reece Beekman (arm/shoulder, targeted return Dec. 3), forward Justin Champagnie (right leg/foot, targeted return Feb. 25) and guard Jamir Watkins (left leg, knee surgery, targeted return April 2). That leaves the Wizards thin at both forward spots and in the backcourt behind Young, putting more scoring and ballhandling load on Davis and Young against a Detroit defense that ranks among the league’s better takeaway units.
Is Detroit Fully Healthy After Its Win Streak?
The Pistons are 7-3 and have won seven of their first 10 games, but they are also managing injuries up front. Center Jalen Duren is out with a right hamstring strain and is targeted to return Nov. 24, while center Ugonna Onyenso is listed day-to-day with a left foot injury and has a return target of Nov. 13, meaning his status for Thursday is uncertain. Guard Isaiah Joe is out with a right hip bruise, targeted to return Nov. 17. Detroit got through Monday’s win over Washington without those contributors and will likely lean on a similar rotation again, with the frontcourt minutes expected to shift toward whichever bigs are available.
Key Matchup: Cunningham’s Playmaking Vs A Shorthanded Wizards Defense
Cade Cunningham leads Detroit in scoring (22.3 points), assists (7.6) and ranks second on the team in rebounding support, and the Pistons as a team average 27.3 assists per game to Washington’s 23.8. Detroit is shooting 46.6% from the field and 37.0% from three, both marks ahead of Washington’s 45.9% and 29.6% clips. With Washington down four rotation pieces, the matchup to watch is how the Wizards’ remaining depth handles Cunningham running pick-and-roll actions against a defense that has already allowed 112.7 points per game to Detroit’s offense this season. Davis will need to anchor the Wizards defensively while also carrying a heavy offensive workload, a dual burden that showed in Monday’s loss.
What To Watch
Detroit is averaging 112.7 points per game against Washington’s 108.1, and the Pistons also hold edges in offensive rebounding (11.1 to 10.0) and steals (9.5 to 7.6 per game), numbers that have fueled their 7-3 start. Washington’s four-game skid and thin injury report make this a chance for Detroit to open a season sweep of the Wizards before the two teams turn to the rest of their November schedules. The Pistons’ full recap of Monday’s 122-111 win is available for context on how this rematch sets up, and more on Detroit’s recent form can be found in the team’s 33-point outing from Cunningham against Charlotte and the earlier 97-89 win over the Hornets. For background on the Wizards’ injury situation heading into the week, see the preview ahead of Monday’s matchup.
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