Detroit Pistons Will Miss Key Player vs Portland Trail Blazers

The Detroit Pistons will be without Ausar Thompson on Monday.

Justin Grasso | Jan 6, 2025

Jan 4, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) shoots over Detroit Pistons forward Ausar Thompson (9) in the first half at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images / Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

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With the Portland Trail Blazers in town on Monday night, the Detroit Pistons anticipate being shorthanded, missing a couple of key players.

Among several names on the injury report is the second-year defensive standout, Ausar Thompson. As the Pistons approached the Monday night game, they initially intended to have Thompson on the court. He was not on the injury report as of Sunday night.

However, the veteran was downgraded on Monday as he started dealing with an illness. At first, Thompson was questionable for the action. The Pistons officially decided to rule out the veteran wing on Monday.

Ausar Thompson will be out for the Pistons tonight against the Trail Blazers due to an illness.
— Hunter Patterson (@HuntPatterson_) January 6, 2025

The setback comes at an unfortunate time for Thompson. Just as he gets settled in and battling back from a major setback, Thompson recently received a promotion to the Pistons’ starting lineup. In Saturday’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Thompson checked in for nearly 26 minutes.

During that time, Thompson made all five of his shots from the field to score 10 points. Thompson had a double-double on the night as he accounted for 10 rebounds. He also snatched a game-high six assists. Thompson was a plus-16 on the court for the Pistons in their 15-point victory over the Timberwolves.

Detroit’s decision to start Thompson came just two games after the veteran guard Jaden Ivey went down with a notable injury. After receiving surgery on his leg, Ivey will miss at least four weeks of action. He’s slated for a re-evaluation roughly one month after his surgery.

In the meantime, the Pistons are testing out different lineups. Two games ago, Thompson came off the bench for 14 minutes. He thrived with double the playing time in the following game.

After missing the first 18 games of the season this year, Thompson has appeared in 15 games. He’s been shooting 51 percent from the field, scoring seven points per game. Along with his scoring, Thompson has averaged five rebounds, two assists, and two seals.

The Pistons will tip-off against the Blazers at 7 PM ET on Monday.