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Pistons-Wizards Preview

Jan 12, 2010 - 5:52 AM By MATT BECKER STATS Senior Writer

Detroit (11-24) at Washington (12-23), 7:00 p.m. EDT

The Detroit Pistons are banged up, scuffling offensively and one loss away from matching the longest single-season losing streak in their history. A game against a Washington team sans Gilbert Arenas would seem to be just what they need, but the Wizards have turned their game up a notch without the three-time All-Star.

The stumbling Pistons try to avoid losing 14 straight games in a single season for the first time in nearly 30 years Tuesday night at Washington.

With a 104-95 victory over Golden State on Dec. 12, Detroit (11-25) won its fifth in a row to move within one game of the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference. The Pistons appeared to be getting their season on track, but they've lost all 13 games since with injuries playing a major role.

Richard Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince and Ben Gordon have all missed time during the skid, leaving Detroit's offense sputtering. The Pistons have failed to crack 100 points during the losing streak.

After coach John Kuester criticized his team's intensity following Saturday's 104-94 loss to Philadelphia, Detroit allowed its most points of the season in Monday's 120-87 defeat in Chicago. The Pistons, who trailed the Bulls by as much as 37, are now one defeat away from matching the franchise-worst single-season 14-game skid, set May 7-30, 1980.

"We've got to let it go," center Ben Wallace said. "Like I said, there seems to be a carry-over effect and that starts happening when we start feeling sorry for ourselves. We can't afford to feel sorry for ourselves because nobody's going to feel sorry for us. We've just got to go out and play basketball and approach every game like we're the better team."

Prince, who has missed 26 games with a back injury, sat out Monday with a sore left knee after injuring it against the 76ers. Gordon, who has been bothered by a sprained left ankle, played only 6 minutes and was held without a point. Each player's status for this game is uncertain.

"You're not going to get confidence from fooling yourself or trying to psyche up your ego," Gordon said. "You've got to go out there and play basketball. That's how you get your confidence right - by going out there every night, playing as hard as you can and playing the right way."

The Pistons have won four straight over the Wizards - including two this season - but can't afford to look past them.

Washington (12-23) lost 121-98 at Cleveland on Wednesday - the day Arenas was suspended indefinitely by the NBA for bringing guns to the Verizon Center and related incidents - but has since defeated Southeast Division-leading Orlando (104-97 on Friday) and nearly upset New Orleans two days later.

In Sunday's 115-110 loss to the Hornets, there were four ties and eight lead changes in the fourth quarter before New Orleans went up for good with 2:49 remaining.

Antawn Jamison tied his season high with 32 points and Randy Foye had 23 starting in place of Arenas to set a season high for the second straight game. Still, the Wizards lost, and realize they have little margin for error without their leading scorer in the lineup.

"There's no one out there you can just consistently say, 'Hey, give me the ball, I'm going to go ahead and get you 30.' That's not going to happen," center Brendan Haywood said. "We're going to have to play better as a team."