PREVIEW: The Western Conference-leading Oklahoma City Thunder face off against the Eastern Conference-leading Detroit Pistons in what shapes up as a marquee matchup between the league's elite. Oklahoma City arrives with a 45-14 record and a three-game winning streak, while Detroit sits at 42-14 after suffering a loss to San Antonio . However, the Thunder's injury situation significantly impacts this contest, as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander remains sidelined with an abdominal issue and Jalen Williams is dealing with a hamstring injury that will sideline him until March at the earliest. The Thunder are playing on the road, on the second leg of a back-to-back, going up against the best team in the East , making this a steep uphill climb despite their recent success. Defensively, both teams rank among the league's elite, but they operate differently. Oklahoma City allows few shots attacking the rim and forces a lot of turnovers while maintaining a low turnover rate themselves, ranking first in these categories. Detroit also excels at forcing turnovers and defending the rim, but distinguishes itself with a high frequency of attacking the rim on offense and solid offensive rebounding at 28.8 percent. The Pistons have been particularly sharp lately, going 8-2 straight up in their last ten games and 5-1 against the spread in their last six. For the shorthanded Thunder, Cason Wallace and Isaiah Joe have stepped into larger roles, with Wallace scoring 20 and 27 points in consecutive games while Joe has been consistent with 22 points in each of his last two outings.