Detroit Pistons vs Houston Rockets: Match Preview and Predictions - 14th December 2019
Match Details
Fixture: Detroit Pistons vs Houston Rockets
Date & Time: Saturday, 14th December 2019 (9:00 PM ET)
Venue: Toyota Center, Houston, TX
Last Game Results
Detroit Pistons (10-15): 111-122 loss against the Dallas Mavericks (12th December, Thursday)
Houston Rockets (17-8): 130-107 win against the Orlando Magic (13th December, Friday)
Detroit Pistons Preview
The Detroit Pistons were on the wrong side of yet another career game by Luka Dončić as they lost 111-122 to the Mavs last Thursday. They are currently 5-5 in their last 10 games, and this road game in Houston isn't exactly what they prefer since they are 3-9 on the road.
Detroit started the first few games this season as the number 1 team in three-point shooting but have now regressed. They are currently at 10-15, but are just two games away from the eighth seed. Being near the bottom in terms of pace at 98.81, the Pistons should look to try to slow down the Rockets' game this Saturday.
Although they are currently 19th in defensive rating, they are also towards the bottom in fouls committed. This discipline should at least take away some of Harden's scoring prowess by his method of drawing contact.
Key Player - Blake Griffin
Blake Griffin is still looking to get his groove back this season. He missed the first 12 games this season due to left knee and hamstring soreness but played 30 minutes in their last game against Dallas. Griffin will be important in this game if the Pistons want to steal one from Houston as he and Drummond are big and skilled enough to dominate the smaller frontcourt of the Rockets.
Griffin only scored 10 points together with 3 rebounds and 5 assists in their last game, a huge dip from his 24.1 ppg average last season. Blake should look to be aggressive this game as he can out-muscle Houston's players in the paint. He has also been improving his three-point shot, and he can challenge Houston's perimeter defense by being a threat beyond the arc.
On defense, he'll be important in keeping Tucker and House in check. He needs to be mobile enough to guard the stretch players of Houston and occasionally, their wings, in times of switches. He should look to do well inside, as he and Drummond are big enough to clog the paint.
Pistons Predicted Lineup
Bruce Brown Jr, Luke Kennard, Tony Snell, Blake Griffin, Andre Drummond
Houston Rockets Preview
The Rockets are doing pretty well right now despite losing an elite playmaker and reliable shooter in Chris Paul. This hole, however, has been filled in by Russell Westbrook in a different way - by zooming through the lanes and attracting defenders.
One big concern about the trade for Harden's best bud was that the Rockets would be down one shooter as Russ isn't exactly known for being the best behind the arc. This season, however, the trend of trapping Harden from 30 feet out has opened the doors for Russ to freely attack the paint, draw more defenders, and kick the ball out to the wing shooters or take it to the rack himself.
This happened quite a lot in their last game against Orlando. Westbrook was able to push the pace and leave the defenders as he had quite a few dunks against the Magic. The Rockets dominated in their last game and this shall give them momentum coming into their next game against the Pistons.
Key Player - James Harden
Harden has been phenomenal this season, averaging a whopping 39.3 points per game (yes, almost 40 points this season!). He'll be key again for their next game as Detroit's guards aren't exactly known for being great defenders.
Harden this season is being treated in a Curry-like fashion as teams have been trying to trap him as soon as he crosses the half-court line. He should look to treat this as an opportunity for his teammates to get wide-open looks as the Rockets' role players have been thriving from beyond the arc.
One concern for him is that he sometimes gets frustrated as traps have been taking away scoring opportunities from him and have been denying him the opportunity of driving inside to draw contact. This slowed him down a bit against teams with great schemes this season. However, this has not stopped him, especially in their last game against the Magic who didn't follow this scheme. Harden dropped 54 points, including a career-tying 10 three-pointers in their rout of Orlando.
He should look to drain more step-back threes this next game, though, as he's playing a team that ranks 19th on defense. And even if he does get doubled, he should be okay with passing the ball as Brodie can be a reliable playmaker for the team. He could also just lose his defender and iso a three.
Rockets Predicted Lineup
James Harden, Russell Westbrook, Danuel House, PJ Tucker, Clint Capela
Pistons vs Rockets Match Prediction
This should be a win for the Rockets, especially because they have homecourt advantage. Their faster players equipped with great shooting ability should be enough to get past Detroit.
Where to Watch Pistons vs Rockets?
The game will be broadcasted locally on AT&T Sportsnet - Southwest and FOX Sports Detroit Plus. You can also stream it live via NBA League Pass.