Preview: Bucks (7-12) at Pistons (10-9)
Date: December 04, 2015 7:30 PM EDT
Greg Monroe won his battle at center against Andre Drummond the last time they met, and they'll match up again in his first game back in Detroit.
Monroe will try to help the Milwaukee Bucks end a seven-game road losing streak Friday night in his return to the Motor City against Drummond and the Pistons.
Monroe spent his first five seasons with the Pistons before signing a three-year, $50 million contract in July. He downplayed facing his former team when Milwaukee won 109-88 at home Nov. 23, the Bucks' fourth straight win in this series.
"I'm going to come in with the same focus," he said. "That is do what I need to do to help my team win on that night. They just happen to be the only other team I have played for."
Milwaukee (7-12) would like to see a repeat of his effort from the last meeting in which Monroe had 20 points and 13 rebounds while Drummond finished with 15 and 15.
Drummond made 6 of 14 from the field for what remains his worst shooting effort since the season's first week. Monroe's knowledge of facing the big man in practice certainly helped.
"We just tried to be physical," said Bucks guard Khris Middleton, also a Detroit teammate of Drummond's in 2012-13. "We know he doesn't like contact. Once he misses a couple, he is going to get down on himself and start forcing tough shots. Greg did a great job of just making him shoot tough shots and not letting him get to his right hand."
Drummond leads the NBA with 16.7 rebounds per game and 17 double-doubles.
Detroit (10-9) has two starters looking to make amends for poor performances from the last meeting.
Ersan Ilyasova, who spent his first seven seasons with the Bucks before being traded to the Pistons in the offseason, missed all seven shots for his first scoreless effort as a starter in two seasons. Point guard Reggie Jackson was held to a season-low seven points on 3-of-11 shooting to go with seven assists.
The Pistons would like to see Jackson perform like he has in consecutive victories in which he has totaled 65 points and 24 assists. He scored 34 and had a season-high 16 assists in Wednesday's 127-122 overtime victory over Phoenix.
"When he's doing that, when he's driving and attacking and finding people, I mean we can get good shots pretty much at will," coach Stan Van Gundy said.
It's not clear who the Bucks will start at point guard after Jerryd Bayless did not play for the first time in Wednesday's 95-70 loss at San Antonio. Tyler Ennis got the nod, finishing with four points and three assists, and coach Jason Kidd said benching Bayless was not a disciplinary move.
'No, I just didn't want to play him tonight,' Kidd said. 'I wanted to look at Tyler tonight.'
Michael Carter-Williams was the starting point guard the last time these teams met. He's shot 28.1 percent in the past five games.
The Bucks shot a season-low 33.8 percent Wednesday and finished with their lowest point total in two seasons. They haven't won on the road since beating New York 99-92 on Nov. 6.
Giannis Antetokounmpo averages a team-high 16.1 points, but he's totaled 24 in the past three games and shot 5 for 18 in the last two.
Date: December 04, 2015 7:30 PM EDT
Greg Monroe won his battle at center against Andre Drummond the last time they met, and they'll match up again in his first game back in Detroit.
Monroe will try to help the Milwaukee Bucks end a seven-game road losing streak Friday night in his return to the Motor City against Drummond and the Pistons.
Monroe spent his first five seasons with the Pistons before signing a three-year, $50 million contract in July. He downplayed facing his former team when Milwaukee won 109-88 at home Nov. 23, the Bucks' fourth straight win in this series.
"I'm going to come in with the same focus," he said. "That is do what I need to do to help my team win on that night. They just happen to be the only other team I have played for."
Milwaukee (7-12) would like to see a repeat of his effort from the last meeting in which Monroe had 20 points and 13 rebounds while Drummond finished with 15 and 15.
Drummond made 6 of 14 from the field for what remains his worst shooting effort since the season's first week. Monroe's knowledge of facing the big man in practice certainly helped.
"We just tried to be physical," said Bucks guard Khris Middleton, also a Detroit teammate of Drummond's in 2012-13. "We know he doesn't like contact. Once he misses a couple, he is going to get down on himself and start forcing tough shots. Greg did a great job of just making him shoot tough shots and not letting him get to his right hand."
Drummond leads the NBA with 16.7 rebounds per game and 17 double-doubles.
Detroit (10-9) has two starters looking to make amends for poor performances from the last meeting.
Ersan Ilyasova, who spent his first seven seasons with the Bucks before being traded to the Pistons in the offseason, missed all seven shots for his first scoreless effort as a starter in two seasons. Point guard Reggie Jackson was held to a season-low seven points on 3-of-11 shooting to go with seven assists.
The Pistons would like to see Jackson perform like he has in consecutive victories in which he has totaled 65 points and 24 assists. He scored 34 and had a season-high 16 assists in Wednesday's 127-122 overtime victory over Phoenix.
"When he's doing that, when he's driving and attacking and finding people, I mean we can get good shots pretty much at will," coach Stan Van Gundy said.
It's not clear who the Bucks will start at point guard after Jerryd Bayless did not play for the first time in Wednesday's 95-70 loss at San Antonio. Tyler Ennis got the nod, finishing with four points and three assists, and coach Jason Kidd said benching Bayless was not a disciplinary move.
'No, I just didn't want to play him tonight,' Kidd said. 'I wanted to look at Tyler tonight.'
Michael Carter-Williams was the starting point guard the last time these teams met. He's shot 28.1 percent in the past five games.
The Bucks shot a season-low 33.8 percent Wednesday and finished with their lowest point total in two seasons. They haven't won on the road since beating New York 99-92 on Nov. 6.
Giannis Antetokounmpo averages a team-high 16.1 points, but he's totaled 24 in the past three games and shot 5 for 18 in the last two.
