Entering Friday, the Houston Rockets (18-18) have lost three of their last four games and are just 3-12 on the road this season.
Making matters worse, starting Saturday, they have three games on the road versus a trio of Eastern Conference contenders: Boston (29-8), Philadelphia (23-13), and New York (22-15).
So, prior to that stretch, there’s a lot of pressure on Ime Udoka’s Rockets to bank a win on Friday night in Detroit — where the Pistons (3-35) are arguably the NBA’s worst team in a generation. Just 11 days ago, the Rockets routed the Pistons in Houston.
This time, the Pistons are even more short-handed, with third-year star Cade Cunningham among the absences. But Houston isn’t at full-strength, either, with Tari Eason and Dillon Brooks still sidelined.