Two struggling first-place teams will take the floor on Monday night when the Detroit Pistons visit Orlando, with the Magic 2.5-point underdogs (over/under: 192) on WagerWeb.com.
The Pistons have lost five of their past eight games, while the Magic have gone 3-6 in January. And worse news for Orlando is this: It is on a nine game losing streak to Detroit. That includes a four-game sweep in the Eastern Conference playoffs last season and a 116-92 rout in Orlando during the season's opening week.
But that Detroit team doesn't resemble one that has losses to under-.500 teams New York, Sacramento and Chicago in a six-day span.
"I hate to say it's a midseason lull because we're a good team," Antonio McDyess said. "It shouldn't happen, especially against teams that are under .500. We're not playing with any type of energy or chemistry. It's like everyone is out of whack."
By building a huge lead in the Central Division, the Pistons gave themselves a large cushion. That has led to complacency, while lesser opponents get up to play them and consequently outwork them.
"We've just got to be ready to play," Richard Hamilton said. "We can't wait until the fourth quarter. We can't wait until the playoffs. We can't look at our record and say we're going to coast."
McDyess said lately he hasn't heard his teammates communicating on defense. They're not helping each other, leading opponents to find easy lanes to the basket."I can always tell when we're going to have a good game, because everyone is talking, everyone's helping, everyone's in the right position each time," McDyess said. "As a team, we're collectively helping each other.
(Saturday's) game, we weren't helping, we weren't talking to each other, and we're leaving guys out to dry. If someone drives to the basket, nobody stepped up to help him, or even tell him, 'Screen going.' If we did, it was late and they were getting baskets."
Detroit is also shooting only 40.9 percent from the field over the last eight games while getting held to an average of 88.3 points, nearly 10 below their season average.
"This is definitely fixable," Hamilton said.
Orlando, meanwhile, hadn't beaten a team with a winning record in a month before a 101-94 home victory over Portland on Saturday.
And the Magic likely will have to play without starting point guard Jameer Nelson again on Monday night; Nelson also missed Saturday's game with a foot injury.
But that might be a good thing for Orlando, as Pistons guard Chauncey Billups has dominated Nelson in recent matchups, averaging a team-high 26 points during last year's four-game regular season sweep. He added 18 points, seven assists and six rebounds in their first meeting this season.
Billups likely will be countered mostly by ex-teammate Carlos Arroyo instead of Nelson.
The Magic will certainly need more from Dwight Howard, as he averaged 4.2 turnovers last season against the Pistons and was held to 16 points in the last game between the clubs.
"The first time we played 'em this year, they beat us up on both ends of the floor,' said Howard, who has 17 points or less in seven of the last 11 games after averaging 23.7 points through the first 25 games of the season. "We kind of lied down.'
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