Brooklyn Nets are still in contention for a play-in playoff spot. The initial two adversaries on their current five-game road trip provide an excellent chance to boost their playoff aspirations.

The Nets will kick off their journey with a match against Detroit on Thursday, followed by a trip to Charlotte on Saturday.

Both Pistons and Hornets are part of the lower half of the Eastern Conference standings below the Nets.

Despite being 12 games below .500, Brooklyn has managed to secure three victories in their last four games, including a hard-fought 112-107 win over Philadelphia. The team staged a remarkable comeback from an 8-point deficit in the final quarter.

“(I was impressed with) their resilience,” interim coach Kevin Ollie said. “We talked about that earlier. Philly came out and they were up by about 14 points and we just dug in, stayed together, stayed connected, challenged the guys in our pregame walk-through that we need to stay together, connectivity. And they did that.”

The Nets’ star player, Mikal Bridges, was limited to 15 points, but Dorian Finney-Smith and Dennis Schroder stepped up with 20 points each, while Lonnie Walker IV contributed 19 off the bench.

“Coach’s been telling us to respond. That’s something he’s been challenging us to do, stick together when things get bad when things aren’t going our way and we’re not making shots,” Finney-Smith said. “And they came out and hit us in the face first, but we responded well.”

Injuries sidelined Ben Simmons and Cam Thomas for the game, while Cam Johnson suffered a right ankle sprain in the first half and could not return to the court.

Having won the first two encounters of the four-game series against Detroit in December, the Nets are looking to continue their dominance. Bridges averaged 25 points in those victories.

Meanwhile, the Pistons have faced a rough patch, losing nine of their last ten games, with their latest defeat coming against Miami, 118-110.

Forward Simone Fontecchio scored 22 points off the bench. Fontecchio was acquired from Utah just before last month’s trade deadline.

“I love the way he plays the game,” coach Monty Williams said. “You talk about the offense, I thought his defense was rock-solid (Tuesday). He doesn’t back away from a matchup. He’s not a guy that we have to worry about keeping in coverage so he doesn’t have to guard a prime-time guy.”

“He guards everybody. His ability to knock down shots, attack the paint, he’s an efficient passer. He’s been a great asset to our program and somebody we believe in going forward.”