The NBA Cup may not be a big deal for some teams, but the Pistons are excited about the possibility of reaching the knockout stages. They host the Bucks on Tuesday and the winner will advance to East Group B of the tournament. They both go into the competition 3-0.

“Boys are into it” trainer JB Bickerstaff said Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press. “The mood is good, the boys are excited, they are looking forward to the opportunity. As mentioned, we want to give our boys a chance to play meaningful basketball and see what that feels like. For some of our boys, this is the most meaningful basketball they have ever played. It’s a great opportunity for us, a great experience for us.”

We have more from the Central Division:

• Donovan Mitchell scored 30 points in the second half on Sunday Cavaliers bounced back from two losses to Atlanta with a win over the Celtics. Mitchell said it was the type of game the Cavs, trailing by double digits in the second half, might not have won in the past, according to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps. “I think that speaks to the growth of our group.” Mitchell said. “I think you go back to when I got here. Obviously we’re younger, we don’t know each other that well and we would kind of break down in those situations. You just see the growth, and I think the most important thing is that we just continue to build… if we continue to grow and continue to learn from these different things, then that’s what it’s really about. That’s it tonight. We could have easily said, “Okay, turning the ball over, different things, not getting any stops, the offense kind of stalled.” But who were we when we got into trouble? And that’s what I said. It’s great to learn from these victories, but who will we be when faced with adversity? And that’s what you see all the time in this group. We tried games and different things and so I’m proud of the way we fought.”
• Matas Buzelis scored a season-high 20 points, a great sign for the lottery. Bulls trainer Billy Donovan said Buzelis and the other young players on the roster need to continue to earn their minutes, writes Julia Poe of the Chicago Tribune. “They have to get playing time. But they have to understand that it’s not free candy,” Donovan said.
• Lonzo Ball There is a minute limit, but the Bulls The guard has made an impressive impression in his limited playing time. He has the best plus-minus rating on the roster, notes Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic. “I know it’s a very small sample size, but when you look at his plus-minus numbers on the floor, it’s crazy given the amount of time he’s gotten.” Donovan said of Ball, a free agent after the season.