NBA Tank Watch: Pistons finally win in Utah, and they still lose

MONDAY

The Pistons and Utah Jazz were the only two Tank Watch^TM teams who played on Monday, and they played each other, so somebody had to win. Unfortunately for tank watchers, the Pistons won, snapping what was their longest losing streak in another team's building, a streak that went all the way back to 2002. They just had to snap it this year, huh?

As a result of the win and falling a full game back of the Jazz, the Pistons are now only up half a game (a win) on the Cleveland Cavaliers and a full game back of the Sacramento Kings for the No. 7 spot in futility.

TANK TUESDAY

Tuesday's slate consists of four games, but only two mean all that much to the Pistons -- Cleveland vs. Toronto and New York vs. LA Lakers. Orlando is involved in another game, but they're 7.5 'up' on Detroit with 11.5 to play (11 for Orlando and 12 for Detroit).

Cleveland vs. Toronto (7 p.m. ET)

As mentioned, Cleveland is half a game behind the Pistons, so this is a big one leading into Wednesday's highly anticipated tank up. The Cavs have been without their All-Star guard Kyrie Irving for the last four games with a strained bicep tendon (1-3), but don't be too disheartened about his injury; they probably lose those games -- Miami, Oklahoma City and Houston -- with Irving anyway, and they still played fairly well in the sense they didn't get blown out of the gym. They followed up those three single-digit losses with a nice win at Madison Square Garden, ending the Knicks' eight-game winning streak, so it's not crazy to think they can win their first home game since February against Toronto on Tuesday night, right?

Root hard for: Cleveland

New York vs. LA Lakers (10:30 p.m. ET)

The tank nightcap involves a couple teams sandwiching the Pistons in the tankathon standings. The Knicks trail the Pistons by three games and the Lakers are up two and a half games in the No. 6 spot. My new tank motto is worry about what's in front of you.

Root for: Lakers