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Detroit Pistons Keeping a Positive Trend Before Mavericks Matchup

Caris LeVert is set to play in his second game in a row with the Pistons for the first time.
Oct 24, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Caris LeVert (8) warms up before the game against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
Oct 24, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Caris LeVert (8) warms up before the game against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

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The Detroit Pistons will take part in their game out in Mexico City on Saturday night, facing the undermanned Dallas Mavericks.

Detroit’s backcourt will continue to get a nice bump, as the veteran guard Caris LeVert has been left off the injury report, deeming that he is cleared for action.

Since the start of the 2025-2026 NBA season, LeVert has been dealing with a hamstring-related setback. When the Pistons opened up the season with a road matchup against the Chicago Bulls, LeVert appeared on the court for 21 minutes. In his Pistons debut, the veteran attempted seven shots from the field, averaging 42 percent.

He finished the game with eight points, two assists, and one rebound. The Pistons dropped the matchup with a four-point loss.

Moving forward, LeVert’s status was up in the air. The Pistons took on the Houston Rockets on the road, and rolled without LeVert for the first time since the season started. They kept him in question for the two home games against the Boston Celtics and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Caris LeVer
Oct 22, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Josh Giddey (3) drives between Detroit Pistons guard Caris LeVert (8) and forward Isaiah Stewart (28) during the first half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | Matt Marton-Imagn Images

When the Pistons appeared in their third-straight home matchup against the Orlando Magic, LeVert was cleared for action and came off the bench for 15 minutes. In his first game back, LeVert struggled with his shot. The veteran made just one of his five attempts from the field, coming up empty from three. He contributed four points, two assists, and one rebound to the Pistons’ 135-116 win over the Magic.

Marcus Sasser Remains Out of the Mix

The Pistons are still waiting for the season debut of Marcus Sasser. As the third-year guard deals with a right hip impingement, he’s been a regular on the injury report.

Marcus Sasse
Oct 6, 2025; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Marcus Sasser (25) reacts after a basket during the third quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

The Pistons don’t plan to get Sasser back for Saturday’s action against the Mavericks, leaving their backcourt still undermanned for the time being.

Sasser appeared in 128 games throughout his first two seasons. Last year, he came off the bench for all but one of the 57 games he played. He averaged 6.6 points, 2.3 assists, and 1.2 rebounds, while shooting 38 percent from beyond the arc.

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia

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