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Pistons at Timberwolves: Now with more Andre Drummond!

Lawrence Frank says that Drummond has been approved for more minutes. How will that impact tonight's game in Minnesota and the final stretch?

By Steve Hinson
USA TODAY Sports

Game tips at 8:00 p.m. EDT

Detroit Pistons: 25-51 (10-28 road)
Minnesota Timberwolves: 28-47 (18-20 home)
Detroit Pistons tickets

TV: FSD
Radio: 97.1 The Ticket
Odds: Pistons +6.5

The Situation

Fire up your dancing penguins! Courtesy of Keith Langolis:

With the final stretch of the season looming, this news is huge. More game experience for Drummond, particularly alongside Greg Monroe and (hopefully) Jose Calderon, and it also indicates that his back has healed successfully. It also puts the Pistons draft position in a precarious position.

The Pistons are currently clinging to the fifth worst record in the league, but the Hornets are threatening and a big pile of teams are clustered around the 30 win mark. An expanded role for Drummond makes tonight's game against the Wolves look winnable, and games against the woeful Cavs, Bobcats, and 76ers are looming. Yep, this is life in the lottery.

The Timberwolves are in the same spot that we last saw them a couple of weeks ago when they blew the Pistons out on their home court courtesy of, you guessed it, a massive third quarter collapse. They're still not a very good team and are without Kevin Love.

Jose Calderon is probable to go tonight, and Will Bynum is out.

Keys to the Game

Defense: Without Love, the Timberwolves are not an efficient scoring team. They have four players who receive significant minutes that shoot under 43% from the field and no one shoots over 35% from behind the arc. But, as the Pistons proved at the Palace, if you give them open shots they'll probably make them.

Depth: The Pistons have gotten some terrible performance from their supporting cast that have undermined some great performances from Monroe and Drummond. Brandon Knight, Rodney Stuckey, Charlie Villanueva, Kyle Singler: you don't need to be great, but at least don't be terrible.

Bull-Moose Party: The more minutes, the better.

Question of the Game

How hard are you rooting for wins down the stretch?

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