Detroit Pistons look to extinguish red hot Los Angeles Clippers after crushing loss to Utah Jazz

Utah Jazz guard Keyonte George knocked the wind out of Detroit's sails.

The Pistons had a four-game win streak come to an end Friday night in Utah when George connected on a floater over multiple Pistons with 2.2 seconds left of regulation. Pistons head coach JB Bickerstaff looks to get the team back on track with Kawhi Leonard and James Harden waiting for them inside the Intuit Dome.

Detroit still sits atop the Eastern conference with a 24-7 record. They look to halt the 9-21 Clippers' dreams of turning their tumultuous season around.

James Harden and Cade Cunningha — Feb 24, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) defends against LA Clippers guard James Harden (1) during the second half at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-Imagn Images | David Reginek-Imagn Images

Clippers have won three consecutive games

The Clippers haven't just won three consecutive games for the first time all season, but they've done it against great teams in the Western conference. The win streak began right in Los Angeles against the Lakers when Leonard dropped 32 points and 12 rebounds. Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets then suffered a 20-point defeat at the hands of Leonard and his 41 points. Finally, they're coming off of a 119 to 103 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers in Portland.

The Clippers are achieving this winning without center Ivica Zubac as well. Zubac has been a major contributor on both ends of the floor inside the paint for the Clippers. The veteran big man is averaging 15.6 points, 11.1 rebounds, and one block.

How to watch, betting odds, predictions

The Detroit Pistons face the Los Angeles Clippers tonight at 9:00pm Eastern on FanDuel Sports Network and NBA League Pass. DraftKings Sportsbook has the Clippers favored to win the game with a -3.5 point spread. This means a bet on the Pistons spread would mean the Pistons have to win the game by more than 4 points for it to be successful.

ESPN Analytics gives the Pistons just a 55.9% chance of winning the game despite the overwhelming difference in win-loss records between the two.

Injuries

The Pistons lead the NBA in points in the paint per game. Expect Detroit to take advantage of Zubac's absence by attacking the rim more than usual. Bogdan Bogdanovic is also missing this game due to injury. The guard has struggled with availability all season. Bogdanovic left the Portland game after just two minutes of action due to left hip tightness. He has career-lows in minutes and points this season.

Leonard has been available for the entire month of December. This month he's averaging 26.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, four assists, and 1.9 steals. The Pistons have their entire team active except for center Isaac Jones. He was to the Pistons G-League affiliate Motor City Cruise this past Saturday in preparation for a return to activity. Jones is recovering from a left knee sprain.