Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images Cade Cunningham’s return could help energize Pistons If you’re a Detroit Pistons’ old head, you’ll remember their down and dirty rivalry with the Indiana Pacers in the early 2000s. Everyone remembers The Block and Malice at the Palace, but these teams were the cream of the crop in the East for about five years. I was a teenager during those glory years, and I always remember the Pistons have a specific rival for a span of 1-2 years. It was the New Jersey Nets, then the Pacers, then the Miami Heat, then the Orlando Magic then the Boston Celtics. The Pacers were always my favorite. Maybe that was because we beat them in dramatic fashion in the ‘04 ECF en route to winning the title? Or maybe the Malice injected even more hate into my body? I dunno, I just always felt like Indiana was the team, with the Jason Kidd-led Nets a very, very, very close second. Anyways, the Pistons and Pacers meet for the second time this season tonight. Game Vitals Where: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, INWhen: Friday, November 29 at 8 pm ESTWatch: Fan Duel Sports Network DetroitOdds: Indiana -5.5 Analysis Let’s start with the injuries. Both Cade Cunningham and Tobias Harris will be game-time decisions 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 of snapping the Pacers’ four-game home winning streak. If not, well, I dunno about that. Indiana is shorthanded as well, missing Andrew Nembhard and Aaron Nesmith. But enough with that, I told you there was a rivalry within the rivalry here. It’s Jaden Ivey versus Bennedict Mathurin. Both were picked in the top 10 of the 2021 NBA Draft. Both have had varying levels of success in the league, but neither has really blossomed into a star. The biggest difference is Mathurin landed in an ideal situation in Indiana with one of the best coaches of the last 25 years whereas Jaden is on his third coach in Detroit. Mathurin wanted to be a Piston, and thought he should have been picked over Ivey. I thought that, too, at the time. And maybe still now. I was a big Mathurin guy and remain so. He’s a bucket who can score in bunches and really uses his athleticism really well. Ivey and Mathurin first met in the Rising Stars game as rookies during the 2021 All-Star Weekend. They exchanged words as Mathurin outplayed Ivey, all of which was caught on mics and camera to elevate things to another level of spicy: Mathurin later had this to say about Ivey: “He’s a great player, I love playing against him,” said Mathurin. “My challenge is to always bring my best against him. You know he was drafted ahead of me. The thing is, I feel like he brings the best out of me every time we compete against each other. So, there’s no hate. He’s a great guy, he’s a great player, and he’s gonna have a great career. But, every time I’m playing against him, I have that in me.” Since then, Mathurin has averaged 20.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 6 games against the Pistons in his career, led by a 30-point outing last season. Ivey, an Indiana kid, has averaged 19.3 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.1 assists in 7 games versus the Pacers. It’s possible we see some real fireworks tonight. And that alone is worth tuning in for. 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 Who has more combined points, rebounds and assists tonight between Ivey and Mathurin?