Apart from point guard Lonzo Ball, who will be missing his second straight season, the Bulls’ players all have clean bills of health. The Pistons, on the other hand, are awaiting the returns of guards Alec Burks, Jaden Ivey, Joe Harris, and Monte Morris. Wingman Bojan Bogdanovic and forward Isaiah Livers also remain out.

Wasted 51-point game

The last time these two Central Division rivals met was on October 29, and the Pistons weathered Zach LaVine’s phenomenal 51-point game to prevail, 118-102. After a couple of lackluster games to start the season, LaVine was determined to break out of his slump and did so in spectacular fashion.

He shot 19-of-33 from the field and made seven triples. Unfortunately for the Bulls, aside from DeMar DeRozan, who had 20 points, nobody else came along for the ride, with starters Coby White and Patrick Williams even going scoreless.

Snap six-game losing slump

The Pistons have been mired in a downward spiral to start the season, losing six in a row to fall to 2-7. Their latest defeat was deflating, as they wasted a 10-point lead with seven minutes to go and fell to the Milwaukee Bucks, 120-118.

Cade Cunningham, though, is blossoming into a star quite quickly. The third-year pro is averaging 24.0 points per game, 7.1 assists, and 3.7 rebounds since he was drafted first overall by Detroit in 2021.