by Thomas Quaynor for Wannamakeabet.com
The Detroit Pistons (39-31) visit the Dallas Mavericks (33-37) tonight at American Airlines Center. This is the second and final regular season matchup between these teams. Detroit picked up a 117-102 win against Dallas at home on Jan. 31 in the first meeting. Detroit is an 8.5-point favorite and the total is 235.5.
Detroit is coming off a dramatic 116-113 win at Miami on Wednesday night. Cade Cunningham banked in a three-pointer with less than a second left to win it for Detroit. The Pistons trailed for most of the second half and never led by more than two points until Cunningham’s game-winning three-pointer. Cunningham amassed 25 points (11-25 FG, 3-4 3Pt), 12 rebounds, 11 assists, two blocks and a steal across 36 minutes. It was his ninth triple-double of the season.
Pistons center Jalen Duran finished with a double-double of 15 points (6-9 FG, 3-4 FT) and 11 rebounds in 28 minutes. It marked the 17th time that Duran has finished with at least 15 points and 10 rebounds in a game this year. Tobias Harris added 15 points (6-9 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 1-2 FT), five rebounds, two assists, four blocks and a steal across 35 minutes. All five Pistons starters scored in double figures. Detroit has won three in a row on the road.
Dallas is coming off a stunning 135-131 loss at Indiana on Tuesday night. Dallas blew an 11-point lead with six minutes left in the game. P.J. Washington registered 26 points (9-18 FG, 2-6 3Pt, 6-10 FT), five rebounds and a steal in 38 minutes. Naji Marshall added 20 points (8-15 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 4-7 FT), nine rebounds and three assists across 39 minutes. Jalen Hardy chipped in with 24 points (8-13 FG, 3-6 3Pt, 5-6 FT) in 24 minutes off the bench. Dallas has lost four in a row and nine of their last ten.
GAME STORYLINES: DETROIT
From 2004-2008, the Detroit Pistons experienced an unparalleled level of success where they won an NBA title (2004), made the NBA Finals twice (2004 and 2005) and advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals for five straight years. Since then, everything has fallen apart for the once-proud Pistons franchise as they’ve only made the playoffs three times over the last 16 years. Detroit’s inability to select a franchise player with their numerous lottery picks was a big reason for the futility.
Despite the constant mishaps from Detroit when it came to drafting and signing free agents, they did hit a home run when they selected Cade Cunningham with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft. Cunningham dealt with numerous injuries — he’s never played more than 64 games in a season and only played in 12 games during the 2022-23 season — during his first three years in the NBA, but he was a highly productive player when he was on the court. He averaged 17.4 ppg, 19.9 ppg and 22.7 ppg respectively over his first three NBA seasons.
Everything has come together for Cade Cunningham and the Detroit Pistons in 2024-25 as Detroit enters tonight’s game with a 39-31 record and sit just 1.5 games behind Indiana for fourth place in the Eastern Conference. Detroit will finish the season with their most wins since the 2007-08 season when they went 59-23 and advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals.
NBA Picks 3/21 – Detroit Pistons @ Dallas Mavericks
Cade Cunningham has elevated his game to an All-NBA level as he’s averaging 25.6 points, 9.3 assists, 6.1 rebounds, 1 steal and 2.1 threes per game while shooting 46.1 percent from the floor through 65 games. Cunningham’s ppg, assists and games played are career-highs. Cunningham was named an All-Star for the first time in his career this season, making him the first Piston to do so since Blake Griffin in 2019.
Center Jalen Duran (11.4 ppg, 10.3 rebs, 1.1 blks, 69.5% from 2), super sixth man Malik Beasley (16.2 ppg, 2.7 rebs, 1 stl, 3.9 threes, 44% from 2, 41.9% from 3) and forward Tobias Harris (13.9 ppg, 6.1 rebs, 1.2 threes, 47.5% from 2) have been excellent in complimentary roles alongside superstar Cade Cunningham. Duran has recorded 34 double-doubles on the season. Detroit has been a reclamation project for Harris and Beasley as both players drew the ire of fans at previous stops due to the playoff failures of the teams they played for.
GAME STORYLINES: DALLAS
Over the course of nine months, the Dallas Mavericks have gone from advancing to the NBA Finals to being a franchise in complete shambles thanks to one shocking and unexpected move that has led to a series of unfortunate circumstances. On Feb. 1, the Dallas Mavericks traded their franchise player Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for a package that featured superstar forward/center Anthony Davis. The move sent shockwaves through sports and non-sports outlets.
Despite the shocking and somewhat lopsided trade, it was believed that Anthony Davis would perform with a renewed fervor as a member of the Mavericks since he could play mostly power forward. And Davis did look like a new man in his Mavs debut against Houston on Feb. 8 when he totaled 26 points (10-18 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 4-6 FT), 16 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 blocks across 31 minutes of action. Unfortunately, Davis left that game late in the third quarter after suffering an adductor strain and has not played since. There is a slight chance that Davis could return before the end of the season as he’s been practicing with the G League’s Texas Legends.
The injury woes did not stop with Anthony Davis, center Daniel Gafford sprained his right knee in the second quarter of a 129-128 loss to Sacramento on Feb. 10. Gafford’s injury occurred in the Mavs next game after Anthony Davis sustained his injury. Gafford is expected to miss six weeks. Dallas’ third center Dereck Lively II was already on the injured list since mid-January after suffering a stress fracture in this right ankle.
The potential final nail in the coffin for the Dallas Mavericks season occurred on March 3 when star guard Kyrie Irving suffered a torn ACL in his left knee against Sacramento. He will miss the remainder of the season. Irving’s season concluded with him averaging 24.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.3 steals and 2.9 threes per game while shooting 47.1 percent from the floor, 40.1 percent from long distance and 91.6 percent from the free throw line in 50 games. Irving’s season-ending injury may have convinced Dallas to focus on next season.
NBA Picks 3/21 – Detroit Pistons @ Dallas Mavericks
With Kyrie Irving and possibly Anthony Davis missing the rest of the season, Dallas will now rely on power forward P.J. Washington Jr. (14.5 ppg, 8.1 rebs, 2.3 asts, 1.2 stls, 1 blk, 1.6 threes), veteran sharpshooter Klay Thompson ( 14.4 ppg, 3.6 rebs, 3.1 threes, 39.8% from 3) and small forward Naji Marshall (12.8 ppg, 4.7 rebs, 1.1 stls, 49.6% from 2) to carry them. This has to be a tough blow for the 35-year-old Thompson who signed with Dallas thinking he’d be competing for NBA championships. Washington seems to be relishing his role as the Mavs primary scorer as he’s averaging 27.5 ppg in 2 games since his return from an ankle injury that kept him out for two weeks.
THE PICK: PISTONS (-8.5)
Detroit is a young team made up of a number of players who will be heading into the playoffs for the first time. On the other hand, Dallas is a far cry from the team that made it to the NBA Finals last June due to the trade of Luka Doncic and the devastating injuries to Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving. I don’t think Detroit will have any problems tonight in Dallas. Lay the Points and Take the Pistons!