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Mavs return home, play host to Pistons

Jan 26, 2014 - 3:20 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The Dallas Mavericks hope a return home will get them squared away when they host the Detroit Pistons Sunday night.

Dallas has lost two straight and four of its last six games, and will begin a four-game homestand versus the Pistons, Houston Rockets, Sacramento Kings and Cleveland Cavaliers. The Mavs are 14-7 in Big D this season.

The Mavericks went 1-2 on a recent trip and suffered a tough 107-106 loss in Brooklyn on Friday, as Vince Carter paced five players in double figures with 19 points off the bench. Dirk Nowitzki (18), Monta Ellis (16), Jose Calderon (15) and Devin Harris (14) were the other double-digit producers.

"We didn't get the job done. But the great thing about it is we can bounce back and take care of business at home and get a little home cooking," Carter said afterward.

Meanwhile, Nowitzki is 44 points shy of becoming the 13th player in NBA history to reach the 26,000 point mark.

Detroit is also struggling, having lost three in a row and 10 of its last 13 games. In Friday's 103-101 setback versus the New Orleans Pelicans, Eric Gordon's layup with 1.9 seconds left sent the Pistons packing.

Andre Drummond had a big game with 21 points and 20 rebounds, Brandon Jennings scored 28 points and Josh Smith recorded 13 for the Pistons, who made 43.5 percent of their shots and scored 31 points off 21 New Orleans turnovers. The Pistons blew a 78-62 lead and allowed an 18-5 run to the Pelicans in the fourth quarter.

Smith would later tie it at 101-101, but Gordon answered on the other end.

"You have to learn from these situations, absolutely," said Drummond, who has recorded seven straight double-doubles. "I'm getting tired of the same, we got to move on from taking losses, it's not a good feeling."

Drummond leads the Eastern Conference with 32 double-doubles.

Detroit hopes to exploit the Mavericks inside and is first in the NBA on the offensive glass with 14.3 per game and first for most points in the paint with 51.6 this season.

The Pistons and Mavericks are meeting for the first time since Dallas took both matchups a season ago. The Mavs have won three in a row, eight of nine and 10 of the last 12 encounters with the Pistons, losers in five straight and 10 of the past 13 games in Big D.