Cade Cunningham will miss his second consecutive game with a calf contusion. It is unclear how much of that is injury vs. some well-time rest for the team’s most important player, whose production had sagged a bit. What remains true is that even without Cade, the Detroit Pistons must treat this game as a must-win. The San Antonio Spurs have won five of seven, including three in a row. They have the ability to beat any team, and Detroit needs to dig deep to find a way to not let this game slip away.

To do that, the Pistons will have to contain Devin Vassell, who has found a groove as a primary scoring option with Victor Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox sidelined. The Pistons will again put Dennis Schröder in the starting lineup in place of Cade. Tim Hardaway Jr. will be back in the lineup after missing the last game with an ankle sprain. The Pistons bench will need production from Ron Holland Jr. and Marcus Sasser tonight, and both are fighting to prove they deserve real playing time even once Cade is back.

Game Vitals

When: 7 p.m. EST

Where: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, Michigan

Watch: Fan Duel Sports Network Detroit

Odds: Pistons -8.5

Projected Lineups

Detroit Pistons (40-32)

Dennis Schröder, Tim Hardaway Jr., Ausar Thompson, Tobias Harris, Jalen Duren

San Antonio Spurs (31-39)

Chris Paul, Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell, Harrison Barnes, Bismack Biyombo