Detroit @ New Orleans preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 9, 2018 ) New Orleans 116, Detroit 108

The New Orleans Pelicans look to continue their dominance of Detroit when they host the Pistons on Wednesday. New Orleans won 12 of the past 13 meetings, including a 116-108 triumph in Detroit on Dec. 9.

Star big man Anthony Davis will miss his second straight game and he wasn't missed Monday when the Pelicans recorded an impressive 105-85 road win over the Memphis Grizzlies. "We approached the game the right way," New Orleans coach Alvin Gentry told reporters. "I thought we played extremely hard, and did a good job of playing with each other. That was one of the best defensive games we’ve had this year." The slumping Pistons have lost 19 of their past 26 games and didn't have much in the tank as they dropped a 101-87 road contest to the Washington Wizards on Monday afternoon. "I thought we just came out with low energy," power forward Blake Griffin told reporters afterward. "Games like this you got to find a way. Weird time, you just got to find a way to have better energy."

TV: 8 p.m. ET, FS Detroit, FS New Orleans

ABOUT THE PISTONS (20-26): Griffin scored 29 points against the Wizards but only one other player scored in double digits during a performance in which Detroit scored a season-low 34 first-half points. "We didn't start playing until the second half," Pistons coach Dwane Casey told reporters. "No excuse for it. We're professional players no matter what time the schedule says. The game starts, we got to get started. You can't coach effort - effort and focus, you can't do that." Griffin narrowly missed his fourth straight 30-point effort and is averaging 32.3 points on 42-of-81 shooting during the stretch.

ABOUT THE PELICANS (22-25): Center Jahlil Okafor made his fourth start of the season with Davis out and he was superb with a season-high 20 points and matching a season best of 10 rebounds against Memphis. Okafor connected on 9-of-11 field-goal attempts in 35 minutes during the strong showing after playing a total of 25 minutes over the previous four games. "I’ll tell you, he’s played well when we put him in the game," Gentry told reporters of the 23-year-old Okafor. "He’s done a good job for us. There are some games he doesn’t get to play at all. The thing that I see is that I see him working to try to get better every day. When we do need him and stick him in the lineup, he really kind of comes through for us."

BUZZER BEATERS

1. The Pistons have dropped their past nine visits to New Orleans.

2. Pelicans PG Jrue Holiday scored 21 points against Memphis for his fourth 20-point effort in five games.

3. Detroit C Andre Drummond (concussion) is expected to miss his third straight game.

PREDICTION: Pelicans 109, Pistons 103