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Wizards-Pistons Preview

Mar 12, 2010 - 4:52 AM By ALAN FERGUSON STATS Writer

Washington (21-40) at Detroit (22-42), 8:00 p.m. EDT

Some had predicted that the Detroit Pistons and Washington Wizards would be contending for playoff berths this season. Instead, both teams are near the bottom of the Eastern Conference.

The struggling clubs will try to earn a rare win this month at the expense of each other Friday night at the Palace of Auburn Hills.

Detroit (22-42) had made the playoffs in eight straight seasons heading into 2009-10, but injuries in part dealt an early blow to the Pistons' hopes. No player has appeared in all 64 games, and Richard Hamilton (37 games played), Tayshaun Prince (32) and Ben Gordon (45) have been absent for extended periods.

One of their stalwarts through this injury-plagued campaign, third-year guard Rodney Stuckey, has missed the past two games after collapsing on the bench during a loss in Cleveland on March 5.

Following extensive cardiac tests Wednesday, doctors told Stuckey - averaging a career-best 17.1 points per game - that he can resume exercise, but there is no timetable for his return to game action.

"I've had all the tests, and now I'm just waiting for them to tell me when I can play again," he said.

In their first game without their second-leading scorer, the Pistons snapped a six-game slide with an overtime victory over Houston on Sunday in the opener of a three-game homestand.

Detroit, though, couldn't rally from a 20-point halftime deficit in a 115-104 loss to Utah on Wednesday. Charlie Villanueva scored 19 points to lead seven players in double figures, but the Jazz also had seven players with at least 11 points.

"It's tough to take anything positive out of a game you lose," Villanueva said. "We just can't dig ourselves into a hole like that."

The Wizards, meanwhile, were expected to improve on last season's 19-63 finish with All-Star guard Gilbert Arenas seemingly healthy after three left knee surgeries in 18 months. Instead, they stumbled to a 3-9 start and never recovered.

Arenas is scheduled to be sentenced for carrying a pistol without a license later this month, stemming from an well-publicized incident in the team's locker room with teammate Javaris Crittenton. Both players were suspended without pay in January, and the team traded away Antawn Jamison, Brendan Haywood and Caron Butler the next month.

The Wizards (21-41) will look to avoid their third six-game losing streak this season after falling 105-99 at home to Atlanta on Thursday. That began a grueling stretch of three games in three days and five in six.

Andray Blatche, one of the team's few bright spots of late, had 30 points and 10 rebounds against the Hawks. JaVale McGee added a career-high 20 points.

Blatche is averaging 24.5 points and 10.3 rebounds over 13 consecutive starts, and is beginning to see changes in how opponents defend him.

"I'm not used to getting double-teamed," Blatche said. "I'll just have to keep on learning from it, keep on trying to make better passes."

The Wizards will also attempt to break a five-game losing streak to the Pistons and earn their first win at the Palace since Jan. 26, 2007.