The Washington Wizards (4-6) visit the Detroit Pistons (6-2) on Monday riding a three-game losing streak that includes a 114-75 blowout loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday. Detroit sits atop the Central Division but has dropped its last game, a 112-106 defeat to the Philadelphia 76ers on Nov. 5. The Wizards vs Pistons matchup pits a Washington offense trying to find its footing against a Detroit team that has won six of its first eight games.
Wizards Vs Pistons Game Information
- Date: Monday, Nov. 9
- Time: 7 p.m. ET
- Venue: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, MI
- TV: NBCSN
- Series: First meeting of the 2026-27 season
Wizards Outlook
Washington has lost three straight, capped by Sunday’s 114-75 defeat in Oklahoma City, and the Wizards’ shooting numbers explain much of the slide. Washington is hitting just 30.2% from three-point range on 31.5 attempts per game, a figure that trails Detroit’s mark by more than seven percentage points. The Wizards do rank ahead of the Pistons in free throw percentage at 81.5% and have committed fewer turnovers per game (13.5 to 14.5), but their 107.8 points per game average is the lowest of the two teams.
Anthony Davis leads the team at 23.4 points and 9.2 rebounds per game and is listed as day-to-day with a right ankle sprain, with a return date of Nov. 9 according to the official injury report. Trae Young paces Washington with 8.9 assists per game. The Wizards are also without Reece Beekman (shoulder), Justin Champagnie (right foot), Jamir Watkins (left knee, surgery) and Tristan Vukcevic (hip), all ruled out. If Davis is cleared, he is expected to start; if not, Washington’s frontcourt rotation would lean further on its remaining healthy bigs.
Pistons Outlook
Detroit’s 6-2 record leads the Central Standings, though the Pistons have dropped their last game and sit at a L1 skid after that 112-106 loss to Philadelphia. Cade Cunningham is the engine of the offense, averaging 24.0 points and 7.6 assists per game, and Ausar Thompson leads the team on the boards at 8.6 rebounds per game. The Pistons’ 37.8% mark from three-point range and 53.6% on two-point attempts both outpace Washington’s figures, and Detroit is also out-rebounding its opponents on the defensive glass, 33.8 to 32.0 per game.
Detroit will be without center Jalen Duren, who is out with a right hamstring strain and not expected back until Nov. 24, and guard Isaiah Joe, out with a hip bruise with a return date of Nov. 9. Duren’s absence removes a rebounding and rim-protection presence, projecting more minutes at center for Detroit’s remaining frontcourt options.
Key Matchup
Detroit’s shooting efficiency against Washington’s perimeter defense is the matchup to watch. The Pistons are converting 37.8% from three-point range as a team compared to Washington’s 30.2%, and Detroit’s offense runs through Cunningham’s 7.6 assists per game, which often set up catch-and-shoot looks. Washington has leaned on Young’s 8.9 assists per game to generate its own offense, but the Wizards’ defense has allowed opponents to hang 120-plus points in each of their last two games, a 120-105 loss to Atlanta on Nov. 5 and a 139-132 loss to Atlanta on Nov. 7. How Washington’s perimeter defenders contain Detroit’s three-point volume without Duren’s interior size as a safety net will shape much of the night.
What To Watch
Washington sits 2.5 games back in the Southeast Standings at 4-6 with a three-game losing streak, while Detroit’s 6-2 mark gives it a two-game cushion atop the Central Division despite its own one-game skid. A Wizards win would snap a three-game slide and mark their first result against a Central Division leader this season. For Detroit, avoiding a second straight loss would steady a team that has otherwise controlled the Central Standings through its first eight games. Davis’ ankle status heading into Monday remains the swing factor for Washington’s rotation plan.
Don't stop here
Every Score. Every Story. One Home.
Breaking sports, entertainment and news from across the Total Apex network, updated all day.
Get the Full Story →
