The Pistons (39-13) will host the Magic (33-21) at the Palace of Auburn Hills. Tip off is 7:30 pm est and can be viewed locally on FSN Detroit.

Magic Snapshot
Road record: 19-10
Last game: 2/13 (Weds) W 98-109 Vs. Denver
Last 10: 6-4
Injuries: Tony Battie (torn left rotator cuff)
Last meeting: Jan. 25th Magic (93) @ Pistons (101)

With the All-Star weekend in the rear view it’s time to get back to games that mean something.

The last time these two teams met it started to get a little chippy near the end of the game. I suspect Orlando, who hasn’t won at the Palace since ‘04, has grown tired with being pushed around by Detroit and would probably love to end the Pistons 10 game winning streak on the Palace floor. Orlando is one of the better up-and-coming teams in the East and they’re looking for respect.

This is the 4th and final regular season meeting between the two teams with Detroit up 2-1. The Pistons are a 7 point favorite.

The premier match up tonight will be down low where Dwight “Superman” Howard tries to leap the tall building known as fellow All-Star, Rasheed Wallace. In the past three games vs. Orlando Sheed has put on a clinic on how defend the Dunk Throw the Ball into the Hoop Champion Howard. Dwight too will be committed to d-ing up after being called out for his lack of basket bulwark by Coach Van Gundy last week.

The Pistons need to be leary of falling asleep on Hedo Turkoglu who’s having a career year (19.5 ppg / 6.1 rpg / 4.6 apg) and is probably feeling a little salty after being passed over for All-Star squad. The game the Pistons lost to Orlando was in large part to being unable to find Turk off the pick and roll in the 4th quarter.

For a Magic P-O-V check out Third Quarter Collapse.