Josh Tiven, Gregg Popovich

San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich will see the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday.

(AP Photo | Eric Gay)

AUBURN HILLS -- In the same month the Detroit Pistons broke the longest single-season losing streak in franchise history, they also began the longest active winning streak in the NBA. The Pistons have won five in a row and have initiated some discussion about postseason possibilities that would have seemed outrageous when they were 5-23.

In the next week, the Pistons (10-23) will face arguably their most challenging five-game stretch of the season, and go a long way in determining how viable their playoff chances are in the Eastern Conference, where at least one sub-40-win team probably will qualify.

Here are five things to watch this week:

1. The NBA champions host the NBA's hottest team

The Pistons' five-game winning streak is tied with Dallas for the longest active streak in the league. They risk it Tuesday in San Antonio, where Tony Parker could return from a hamstring injury in time to face the Pistons. The Spurs are without Kawhi Leonard for several weeks (torn right hand ligament) and entered Monday 6-9 in their last 15 games.

2. The dreaded four-in-five

It's the most challenging scheduling situation NBA teams face, four games in five days, and the Pistons do it for the first time this season Tuesday at San Antonio, Wednesday at Dallas, Friday vs. Atlanta and Saturday vs. Brooklyn. The Pistons also have four-in-fives Jan. 24-28, March 10-14 and March 31-April 4.

3. 111-59, that's pretty good

That is the record of the Pistons' next five opponents going into games of Monday. All five would be in the playoffs if the season ended today. After the four-in-five, the Pistons travel to Toronto next Monday. The only one of the next five opponents the Pistons have not played this season is San Antonio. They are 0-5 against the others.

4. It's a practice-free zone

The Pistons practiced today, then will not practice again until Jan. 12 because of their compressed schedule. Stan Van Gundy has spread minutes around and expanded the rotation to 11 players some recently, so neither stamina, nor fatigue, nor health is a concern. The Pistons are in a good place in that respect. But they won't get to practice and that's when a team can fall into bad habits. "I'm more concerned with us maintaining our principles and things," Van Gundy said Sunday morning. "We've done well when we've had repetitions lately, to be able to come in to practice. We're not going to get that. That's a bit concerning."

5. No emergency point guard

It should not be a major issue because Brandon Jennings and D.J. Augustin are not foul prone and Spencer Dinwiddie can be recalled overnight in the event of an injury. But the Pistons plan to go on the Texas trip without Dinwiddie, who is playing with Grand Rapids of the NBA Development League team until Wednesday. In the unlikely event that both Jennings and Augustin were rendered unavailable during a game, Jodie Meeks and/or Kentavious Caldwell-Pope would be pressed into point duties.

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