Coming off a 21-point home loss to one of the NBA's worst teams, the last thing Detroit needs is a visit from one of the NBA's best teams. So it goes.
The San Antonio Spurs will carry a seven-game winning streak into Detroit on Tuesday when they square off against the Pistons.
The Pistons had won four in a row before a forgettable home loss Sunday against the Wizards. Detroit was trounced 98-77 by a Washington team that came in 5-22 and 1-10 on the road. The loss served as a reality check for the Pistons, who have pulled themselves out of the Eastern Conference cellar but proved -- if there was any doubt - that they are still in rebuilding mode.
The Spurs might add yet another dose of reality if they play like they have been.
San Antonio has won in a variety of ways during its NBA-best seven-game run. The Spurs did it with defense against the West-leading Thunder, 89-84, back on Jan. 4, and then outran the high-scoring 76ers last week, notching a 100-90 win on the road.
The most recent W came against the lowly nets in a ho-hum 103-89 victory on Saturday. In that one, Tim Duncan had 13-10-5, and Manu Ginobili returned from a 38-day absence following a broken hand to record eight points in 17 minutes.
Tony Parker is leading San Antonio with 18.4 points per game and has gone for 42 and 37, respectively, in two of the last four.
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