Pistons' playoff hopes dwindling as they face surging Bucks (Mar 31, 2017)
MILWAUKEE -- The Detroit Pistons stopped a five-game losing streak Thursday.
If they are going to keep their dwindling playoff hopes alive, the slumping Pistons will have to get by one of the league's hottest teams when they visit the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday.
Detroit (35-41) is 2-8 in its last 10 games and the untimely slump has dropped the Pistons to 10th place. Detroit is 2 1/2 games out of the seventh and eighth playoff spots, occupied by the Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers.
The Pistons also trail the ninth-place Chicago Bulls by 1 1/2 games.
"(We do not talk about it) right now," Pistons forward Marcus Morris said. "We just talk about what needs to happen to get in the playoffs. We've got to think about some teams losing, but we've also got to win. We start now, put a couple together, and see what happens."
Morris helped the Pistons on Thursday by totaling 28 points and 13 rebounds, but their 90-89 win over the Brooklyn Nets was not decided until Ish Smith's go-ahead 3-pointer with 28.5 seconds remaining.
Getting back into the postseason will not be easy for Detroit, which won 44 games last season.
Starting with Friday's meeting in Milwaukee, the Pistons play five straight against teams with winning records before closing the season against the Orlando Magic.
Despite the tough schedule, coach Stan Van Gundy thinks Detroit is up to the challenge.
"I expect (us) to come out and play hard and well," Van Gundy said. "We'll see what happens, but that's what I expect. It's been really tough and I understand everybody's disappointed in our locker room. We got ourselves in this situation, and we have to play (six) games hard and well, and whatever happens happens."
Milwaukee, meanwhile, is trying to pull away from Atlanta and claim the fifth seed for itself.
The Bucks and Hawks are tied at 39-36, but Atlanta holds the tiebreaker by virtue of a 3-1 advantage in the season series. The Bucks sit two games ahead of seventh-place Miami and have a magic number of four to claim their first playoff berth in two years.
Milwaukee improved to 13-3 in its last 16 games with a 103-100 road win over the Boston Celtics on Wednesday. The Bucks have pulled off their surge since Jabari Parker was lost for the season with a torn left ACL.
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 22 points and Khris Middleton added 19 on Wednesday. Rookie Malcolm Brogdon contributed 16 points and nine assists, with a few key plays down the stretch.
"When Jabari went down, we were in flux with another player and that was getting Khris back," Bucks coach Jason Kidd said. "You're talking about an All-Star player. We were on minutes restrictions with him (Middleton), then we lose Jabari the same day. There might have been a little confusion of where we were going, but in that locker room no one gave up.
"We stuck together and I thought we became closer. That locker room never once let go of the rope. They kept fighting and they found their way back in the playoff race."
The Bucks have won two of the three games with Detroit this season. In those games, Detroit's Andre Drummond is averaging 19 points and 14.7 rebounds while Antetokounmpo is averaging 16 points and 7.3 assists.
Milwaukee is 5-2 in the last seven home meetings with Detroit.
