Pistons vs. Thunder: Pregame Primer

vs.

Detroit Pistons (23-42, 7-25 road) vs. OKC Thunder (40-23, 22-9 home)

TV: FSOK (Cox 37, HD 722, Tulsa Cox 27, DirectTV 679, UVerse 754)
Stream: Click here
Radio: WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1 FM, 640 AM, 97.1 FM Tulsa)
Time: 7:00 CT

Offensive Rating: Thunder – 110.6 (5th), Pistons– 106.7 (18th)
Defensive Rating: Thunder – 108.1 (16th), Pistons – 111.1 (28th)
Pace: Thunder – 93.0 (12th), Pistons – 88.8 (29th)

View from the enemy: Piston Powered

Note: As noted earlier, Kendrick Perkins will not debut tonight for the Thunder, so says Scott Brooks. Marc Spears of Yahoo! Sports tweeted that Perkins said he’s eying Wednesday versus the Heat as his first game.

OKC gets the Pistons tonight and their dysfunctional rag tag bunch of veterans. At home, this game is nothing less than a should-win affair.

Detroit coming in: The Pistons have dropped six of eight and last played Wednesday in San Antonio.

THE MATCHUPS
The Pistons are hard to figure out because you can never tell who is in John Kuester’s doghouse. However, Rodney Stuckey has been a thorn in the Thunder’s side the past few contests. He gets to the rim well and can carry the load scoring any given night.

Greg Monroe has been playing well for them inside, but between the Thunder’s upgraded interior, OKC shouldn’t have too much issue with him and Chris Wilcox.

Of course the Pistons have Tayshaun Prince who is a good defender to check Kevin Durant. Prince hasn’t been himself this season though, but he may get up at the chance of defending the league’s best scorer.

If you recall though, the Thunder needed a Jeff Green runner to beat Detroit in the only other meeting this season. I don’t think tonight’s game should come to that though.

Tip at 7:00 CT. Go Oklahoma Rock City.