Oklahoma Thunder vs. Detroit Pistons Preview: Pistons Hold on to Last Playoff Berth as They Face Streaking Thunder
The number eight-ranked Detroit Pistons will be aiming to continue their winning ways and hold on to a playoff spot as they face the surging Oklahoma City Thunder.
Part two of the Thunder-Pistons series for the 2015-2016 NBA regular season will be taking place on Tuesday, March 29th, at the Palace of Auburn Hills in Detroit.
The first time Detroit and Oklahoma played against each other was last November 27th, with the former winning by a 16-point margin. The game's final score was 103-87. It was superstar forward Kevin Durant who provided the most contributions for his team, dropping a total of 34 points, 14 of which he scored in the third period alone.
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He also grabbed 13 rebounds, along with five assists, shooting 10 out of 22 from the field, through 37 minutes of playing time. Forward Serge Ibaka also made big numbers, scoring 14 points, along with four rebounds, shooting 7 out of 8 from the field, through 31 minutes of playing time.
Pistons head coach Stan Van Gundy commended Durant's efforts for the night.
"I'm sure we had some defensive breakdowns, but the guy is a hell of a player. He can get shots over the top of anybody at any time," Van Gundy said in an NBA.com report. "You're talking about the top two or three players in the world. He's pretty good."
The Thunder is currently on a seven-game winning streak, which began last March 14th, against the Portland Trailblazers. They were then able to win their succeeding games against the Boston Celtics, the Philadelphia 76ers, the Indiana Pacers, the Houston Rockets, the Utah Jazz, and most recently the San Antonio Spurs.
The Pistons also put up their own streak, winning five consecutive games that began on March 18th against the Sacramento Kings. It was, however, snapped through their most recent loss against the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday.
Oklahoma currently holds a win-loss record of 52-22, while Detroit banners a slate of 39-35.
