On Sunday night, the Sacramento Kings shocked everyone by taking down the Cleveland Cavaliers on the road. The Cavaliers are the NBA's second-best team this season with 62 wins, but were taken down by the 38-win Kings on their home court.
Now, heading into the second night of a back-to-back, the Kings travel to face the Detroit Pistons on Monday.
The Pistons have lost three of their last four games, coming off a home loss to the Memphis Grizzlies in their last outing. Still, the Pistons have been one of the most impressive teams this season, especially coming off a 14-win 2023-24 season. Detroit now sits at 43-35 and in sixth place in the Eastern Conference, and a win on Monday would be huge for their playoff positioning.
The Sacramento Kings have five players listed on their injury report for Monday's game: Isaiah Crawford, Keon Ellis, Mason Jones, Jake LaRavia, and Keegan Murray.
Isaiah Crawford - OUT (G League two-way)
Keon Ellis - QUESTIONABLE (right hand soreness)
Mason Jones - OUT (G League two-way)
Jake LaRavia - OUT (left thumb bone contusion)
Keegan Murray - QUESTIONABLE (back soreness)
The Detroit Pistons have listed six players on their injury report: Jalen Duren, Ron Harper Jr., Tobias Harris, Jaden Ivey, Daniss Jenkins, and Tolu Smith.
Jalen Duren - QUESTIONABLE (right peroneal contusion)
Ron Harper Jr. - QUESTIONABLE (G League two-way)
Tobias Harris - QUESTIONABLE (right heel soreness)
Jaden Ivey - OUT (left fibula fracture)
Daniss Jenkins - OUT (G League two-way)
Tolu Smith - OUT (G League two-way)
The Kings have listed two starters on their injury report in Keon Ellis and Keegan Murray, the team's two best on-ball defenders. If Sacramento has to play without even one of these guys, they will be in trouble; nonetheless, potentially have to play without both.
The Pistons have also listed two starters as questionable, Jalen Duren and Tobias Harris, so the two squads could ultimately have a balanced matchup regardless. Still, even with any injuries they are dealing with, the Pistons are a dangerous team led by Cade Cunningham.
In their last game, Cunningham returned from a six-game injury absence, and the Pistons desperately missed him. The 23-year-old All-Star point guard is averaging 25.7 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 9.1 assists per game this season, taking one of the biggest leaps into stardom of any player in the league.
Especially if they are missing their top two defenders, the Kings could have trouble containing Cunningham and the Pistons. The Kings have all but cemented their spot in the play-in tournament, so while they do not necessarily need to beat the Pistons on Monday, picking up some steam heading into the play-in would be their best shot at getting into the playoff picture.
The Kings and Pistons face off in Detroit at 7:00 p.m. EST on Monday.
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