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Pistons' top-five defense faces winless Nets in Brooklyn

Brooklyn is 0-4 with the league's third-highest three-point rate, while Detroit leads the East at 4-1 without center Jalen Duren.

Pistons: fifth in defensive rating (104)
Nets allow a 58.3 effective field goal percentage, 28th of 30
Nets are 0-4; Pistons lead the East at 4-1

Published October 30, 2026 at 8:01 AM1 min read How this story was written

Final

Detroit Pistons

Brooklyn Nets

Box score and plays

The Detroit Pistons (4-1) and their fifth-ranked defense visit the Brooklyn Nets (0-4), who allow a 58.3 effective field goal percentage, 28th in the NBA, on Friday, October 30 at 7:30 PM ET.

Brooklyn's defense is the question. The Nets' defensive rating of 115.3 ranks 24th. Detroit holds opponents to a 49.1 effective field goal percentage, third best, with a defensive rating of 104.

The Nets take threes at the third-highest rate in the league, 46.8% of their attempts, but their own effective field goal percentage of 51.5 ranks 23rd.

Cade Cunningham averages 22.6 points and 7.8 assists for Detroit, and Paul Reed pulls down 7.6 rebounds a game. For Brooklyn, Michael Porter Jr. scores 22.8 a night and leads the team with 2.3 steals, while Julius Randle adds 7.5 rebounds and 5.8 assists.

Detroit is without center Jalen Duren, who is out with an expected return of Monday, November 9. Isaiah Joe is questionable, as are Elijah Harkless and Isaac Jones.

Brooklyn lists five players out, among them guards Egor Demin and Ben Saraf, who average 21.8 and 20.3 minutes. Drake Powell, at 21 minutes a game, is questionable.

The Nets have lost four straight, including 124-125 at Boston and 109-136 to Indiana at home. The Pistons have won four of five, the exception a 111-97 loss at New York.

Sportsbooks' prices give Detroit a 73% chance to win. Keel's projection, built from the players available, puts it at 65%.