AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – Someone will get their first win of the season Saturday when the Detroit Pistons host the Brooklyn Nets in their home opener. It's the start of a four-game homestand for the Pistons, who dropped games at Denver and Minnesota to start the season. The Nets aim for a split of their season-opening road trip after falling 121-105 at Boston on Wednesday.
While the Nets will be without center Brook Lopez (sprained right foot), the Pistons will get back one of their top big men with Greg Monroe returning from a two-game suspension after pleading guilty to driving while visibly impaired. Even with Monroe back in the fold, though, Detroit's offensive style is a better matchup for Brooklyn than the up-tempo attack of Boston. The Pistons won three of four meetings last season after being swept in four games against the Nets in 2012-13.
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TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, YES (Brooklyn), FSN Detroit
ABOUT THE NETS (0-1): Brooklyn dug a huge hole against Boston, trailing 67-41 at the half, and needs to defend better from the outset. "It was like open gate," first-year Nets coach Lionel Hollins told reporters. "All the sheep got out of the gate. It was layup after layup." If the Nets were able to take anything positive away from the season-opening thumping it was the fact they outscored the Celtics 33-20 in the fourth quarter and put up 64 points in the second half.
ABOUT THE PISTONS (0-2): Detroit wiped out a 19-point deficit in the second half against the Timberwolves but couldn't finish it off. The Pistons could use Monroe's offensive prowess after averaging only 85 points through two games and relying on reserves Caron Butler and D.J. Augustin to fuel the comeback against Minnesota. "They played with some determination, like they wanted to win the game," Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy told the team's website. "You hope some of those other guys, some of your starters, can gain some of that at some point."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Brooklyn SG Joe Johnson, who scored 19 points in the opener, averaged 18 points in four games against the Pistons last season and was 16-of-28 from 3-point range in those contests.
2. Detroit PG Brandon Jennings, who averages 16.6 points in his career, has scored only four points in each of the first two games.
3. Hollins has won nine of his last 10 games against Detroit, but the Nets have not won in Detroit since 2013.