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Pistons-Kings Preview
Detroit Pistons at Sacramento Kings
- The Pistons have won five straight and seven of their last eight games against the Kings overall, including each of their last four trips to Sacramento.
- After opening the season with three consecutive losses, the Kings defeated Golden State on Monday, 94-92. Sacramento will be looking to open the season 2-0 at home for the first time since opening the 2008-09 campaign 3-0.
- Detroit will be looking to avoid opening the season with five consecutive wins for the first time since 2010-11. The Pistons and the Wizards (0-2) are the only two winless teams remaining in the NBA this season.
- After averaging 15.0 points in his first two games of the season, Tayshaun Prince is averaging just 6.5 points in his last two contests. Prince has scored 20+ points in seven of his last eight games against Sacramento.
- DeMarcus Cousins is averaging 22.0 points and 14.0 rebounds in his last two games after averaging 12.5 points and 5.5 rebounds in his first two contests of the season.
- Rodney Stuckey is averaging 21.9 points in his career against Sacramento -- the highest scoring average in his career against any opponent.
By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO
(AP) -- Coach Lawrence Frank is trying to get the Detroit Pistons to be more unselfish.
Getting their first win of the season would certainly make that a lot easier.
The Pistons look to break into the win column for the first time with their sixth consecutive victory over the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday night.
Detroit (0-4) remained one of only two winless teams in the NBA after falling 109-97 at Denver on Tuesday.
"All the best teams are," Frank said of being unselfish. "Look, who's the most coachable player on the Spurs? Tim Duncan. Who's the most coachable player on the Celtics? Kevin Garnett. Who's the most coachable player in Oklahoma City? Kevin Durant. Who's most coachable player of the Miami Heat? LeBron James. This is not calculus. This is not trying to figure out the next Pythagorean theorem.
"This is easy: Your players have to unite and inspire by how they play. It's that simple."
Greg Monroe was one of the few bright spots Tuesday, scoring 27 points and grabbing 10 rebounds after totaling eight and seven, respectively, in a 29-point loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday.
That production, however, was offset by Rodney Stuckey's continued struggles. He did score a season-high 17 points against the Nuggets, but shot 5 of 17 from the field and is 6 for 40 this season. Stuckey is averaging 6.8 points this season after scoring 14.8 in 2011-12.
"He will always be a big part of our success," Monroe said. "We need him to play like he did (Tuesday), attacking the goal, getting to the free throw line. It was good to see that."
Stuckey has averaged 25.0 points on 51.3 percent shooting over his last seven meetings with the Kings (1-3), totaling 71 points in the past two. He had 35 points with six assists and five rebounds while Monroe had 32 points and 11 boards in a 124-112 win at Sacramento on March 14.
The Pistons have won five in a row over the Kings, including four straight in Sacramento.
Detroit, though, has lost the first three games of this six-game trip, which continues at Oklahoma City on Friday before concluding at Houston a day later.
The Kings are looking to build on their first win of the season, beating Golden State 94-92 on Monday behind 23 points and 15 rebounds from DeMarcus Cousins.
Cousins has totaled 44 points and 28 boards in his last two games after he had 25 and 11 in the season's first two contests.
"I've started the season off pretty rough," Cousins said. "I know the way I play affects this team in a lot of ways."
Cousins has averaged 15.0 points and 9.5 rebounds in four career meetings against the Pistons.
Updated November 7, 2012
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