Detroit Pistons vs. Indiana Pacers Preview: A new rivalry hidden within an old one

If you’re an old head of the Detroit Pistons, you’ll remember their dirty rivalry with the Indiana Pacers in the early 2000s. Everyone remembers The Block and Malice at the Palace, but those teams were the best in the East for about five years.

I was a teenager during those glory years and always remember the Pistons having a particular rival for a year or two. It was the New Jersey Nets, then the Pacers, then the Miami Heat, then the Orlando Magic and then the Boston Celtics.

The Pacers were always my favorite. Maybe it was because we beat them in dramatic fashion en route to winning the ECF title in 2004? Or perhaps the malice injected even more hate into my body? I don’t know, I just always felt like it was Indiana the teamwith the Jason Kidd-led Nets finishing a very, very, very close second.

Anyway, the Pistons and Pacers meet tonight for the second time this season.

Game Vitalities

Where: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN
When: Friday, November 29th, 8pm EST
Regard: Fan Duel Sports Network Detroit
Opportunities: Indiana -5.5

analysis

Let’s start with the injuries.

Both Cade Cunningham and Tobias Harris will decide playing times tonight. Cade has missed the last two games, while Tobias missed the ugly blowout in Memphis. If they play, the Pistons have a real chance to end the Pacers’ four-game winning streak at home.

If not, then I don’t know.

Indiana is also shorthanded with Andrew Nembhard and Aaron Nesmith missing.

But enough with that, I told you that there is a rivalry within a rivalry here.

It’s Jaden Ivey vs. Bennedict Mathurin.

Both were selected in the top 10 of the 2021 NBA Draft. Both have had varying degrees of success in the league, but neither has truly blossomed into a star.

The biggest difference is that Mathurin landed in an ideal situation in Indiana with one of the best coaches of the last 25 years, while Jaden has his third coach in Detroit.

Mathurin wanted to be a Piston and felt he should have been chosen over Ivey. I thought that too at the time. And maybe even now. I was a big Mathurin guy and stayed that way. He’s a real all-rounder who can score a ton and uses his athleticism really well.

Ivey and Mathurin met for the first time in the Rising Stars game as rookies during All-Star Weekend 2021. They exchanged words as Mathurin Ivey trumpeted what was all caught on microphones and cameras to take things to an even juicier level:

Mathurin later had this to say about Ivey:

“He is a great player, I love playing against him,” said Mathurin. “My challenge is to always do my best against him. You know he was drafted before me. The thing is, I feel like he brings out the best in me every time we compete. So there is no hate. He’s a great guy, he’s a great player and he’s going to have a great career. But every time I play against him, I have that in me.”

Since then, Mathurin has averaged 20.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 6 career games against the Pistons, led by a 30-point performance last season. Ivey, an Indiana native, averaged 19.3 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.1 assists in 7 games against the Pacers.

It’s possible we’ll see real fireworks tonight. And that alone makes it worth tuning in.

Lineups

Detroit Pistons (8-12): Jaden Ivey, Cade Cunningham, Tim Hardaway Jr., Tobias Harris, Jalen Duren

Indiana Pacers (9-10): Tyrese Haliburton, Bennedict Mathurin, Quenton Jackson, Myles Turner, Pascal Siakam

Question of the day

Between Ivey and Mathurin, who has more points, rebounds and assists tonight?