Perhaps sometime Saturday, as they enjoyed a rare day off following a 107-90 victory at Atlanta on Friday night, the Pistons might have had a chance to peak at the most recent NBA standings.
  If they did, they would see that they were entering the second half of the season tied for the sixth playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
  They also would see that they were in a pack of six teams, from fifth place to 10th place, that is separated by two games.
  And they will play two of those teams -- Washington (ninth place) and Orlando (fifth) -- this week.
  They also play Atlanta and Cleveland, two of the lower-level teams in the East, this week.
  "We can't look too far ahead," Coach Rick Carlisle said. "That is dangerous territory for us. We just have to keep working on our intensity, day in and day out."
  The Pistons (21-20), who have won four out of five, including two straight on the road, travel to Washington on Tuesday then come home Wednesday to play Atlanta. They close the week with another back-to-back, Orlando at home Friday and at Cleveland on Saturday.