Pistons use balanced attack to get past Raptors
Jerami Grant scored 24 points to lead seven players in double figures as the visiting Detroit Pistons posted a season-high point total in a 127-121 win over the Toronto Raptors on Saturday.
Isaiah Stewart matched a career-high with 20 points, Saddiq Bey had 16 and Josh Jackson added 15 for Detroit, which shot a season-best 54.4 percent from the field and won for just the third time in 12 games.
Pascal Siakam had 25 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists for the Raptors, who fell to 2-6 at home. Gary Trent Jr. scored 23 points and OG Anunoby had 17.
Detroit trailed by two at the end of three quarters before moving ahead 117-106 on Cade Cunningham’s 3-pointer with 4:53 remaining.
After Cunningham scored again with 1:23 left to give Detroit a five-point lead, Toronto missed three shots during a wild possession before the Pistons sealed the win on Bey’s two free throws with 18.4 seconds left.
Rookie Dalano Banton had a career-high 12 points for the Raptors, who shot 50.6 percent from the field but missed 11 of their 31 attempts from the foul line.
Toronto played without point guard Fred VanVleet, who is listed as day-to-day with left groin soreness. Goran Dragic started in his place and had 16 points in 28 minutes.
Detroit scored the first eight points of the game before Toronto answered with a 22-5 run and ended the first quarter with a 34-31 advantage.
Trent made three 3-pointers and scored 13 points in the opening period for the Raptors, who lost their fourth straight meeting against the Pistons.
Detroit, which was held to a season-low point total in Friday’s 98-78 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, took a 65-64 lead into the half.
Trent scored with 5:33 left in the third quarter to put the Raptors ahead by nine before Detroit battled back and pulled within 95-93 at the end of the period.
Frank Jackson scored 14 points for the Pistons while Killian Hayes recorded 13 points, seven rebounds and 10 assists.
Chris Boucher scored two points in 12 minutes for Toronto before exiting after three quarters with a sore lower back.
–Field Level Media