Defensive-minded Pistons set to tackle Nets

NEW YORK -- Nearly two years ago, Stan Van Gundy stood in a crowded hallway at Barclays Center and lamented how the Detroit Pistons did not have chances to win the way they defended and vowed changes to the roster he was coaching.

At the time of Van Gundy's impassioned plea for improved defense, the Pistons had dropped 23 of their first 28 games.

Detroit split the final 54 games of 2014-15, won 44 games last season and is projected to be a middle seed in the Eastern Conference playoff race. The Pistons wound up 14th in points allowed two seasons ago, improved to 12th last season and have allowed the second-fewest points per game so far.

Detroit's defense will look to remain effective Wednesday night when it visits the Brooklyn Nets.

The Pistons began Van Gundy's third season by allowing 109 points in an 18-point loss at Toronto last Wednesday. The Pistons followed it up by holding Orlando and Milwaukee to 82 and 83 points, respectively, in double-digit victories.

On Tuesday, Detroit continued its positive defensive trends in a 102-89 win over the New York Knicks. After allowing 55 points in the first half, the Pistons allowed 10 in the fourth quarter and held the Knicks scoreless in the final 5:40.

"We just kept saying in the timeout that to win, we're going to need to make a defensive stand," Van Gundy said. "We were skating on thin ice for a long, long time. They'd get it down to three and we'd get a couple of hoops. Then the last (5:30), we were able to get it done."

Tobias Harris scored 25 points and Marcus Morris added 22 points for Detroit, which is 3-1 for the second straight season.

"It's real satisfying," Harris said. "It's something that when we came into the timeout, that was our emphasis. Let's go out there and get stops, let's get rebounds and let's see how many we can string together to come out with this victory."

While the Pistons have been playing strong defense, the Nets have struggled defensively through most of their first four games. Although Brooklyn held Indiana to 15 points in the fourth quarter Friday, it is allowing 111 points per game, has given up seven 30-point quarters and allowed opponents to shoot 47 percent.

The Nets lost their first two games at Boston and Milwaukee by a combined seven points and were never in Monday's 118-88 loss to the Chicago Bulls. The Nets gave up 38 first-quarter points, trailed for the final 45-plus minutes, shot 34 percent and made 5 of 31 3-pointers.

"I just think we didn't have that normal pop or that explosiveness or the normal hunger that we normally have on the defensive end, actually just in general," Brooklyn guard Jeremy Lin said. "We didn't have that normal spirit or that normal energy that we play with. Tonight everybody came out flat and you know, it's time to get our bodies right and we'll be good and we'll be ready on Wednesday."

An area where the Nets will have to be ready is rebounding and blocking out Detroit center Andre Drummond, who leads the league with 15.5 rebounds per game. Brooklyn has allowed 49.8 rebounds per game by opponents, which is the third-highest in the league.

"We're addressing it," Brooklyn coach Kenny Atkinson said. "We understand it's a weakness and an area we've got to get better."

Another area where the Nets will have to be improved is backup point guard play. While Lin has averaged 16.3 points, his primary backups, Randy Foye (mild right hamstring strain) and Greivis Vasquez (sore right ankle), will not play Wednesday.

Those injuries mean Isaiah Whitehead will likely see a decent amount of time again. The rookie had a difficult home debut by shooting 3 of 11 and committing five turnovers in 21 minutes.

"I think whoever we put in there, we expect them to do their job and play the way we want them to play," Atkinson said. "So it could be a rookie, a second-year guy, a veteran and when a guy is out the next guy has to step up and play."

The Pistons have won four of the last five meetings with the Nets since allowing 110 points and 52 percent shooting on Dec. 21, 2014. The only players remaining on their roster since then are Drummond and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.