Detroit Pistons 114 – Raptors 101: 1 bad Q
By Brian Boake
With Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan both ailing, could the Raptors hold off the Pistons? Yes, but not all game.
The Detroit Pistons are on the move. They can brag about defeating the Eastern Conference’s top two teams in a week, after storming past the Toronto Raptors. With star guard Kyle Lowry watching from the bench, the Raptors were playing shorthanded, though that didn’t catch up to them until the third quarter. During that interminable (to a Toronto fan, anyway) twelve minutes, the Pistons could do no wrong. A game tied at the half turned into a rout. Detroit carried a 17-point bulge into the final frame, and no miracles were forthcoming.
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Coach Dwane Casey was channeling his inner Greg Popovich when the decision was made to give Kyle the night off. DeMar DeRozan, though markedly better than the sickly wraith we saw against Cleveland on Friday, was still suffering. He wanted no part of contact (3 foul shots) and as a result the Pistons played him to shoot. DD was nine of a contested 21 shots, but minus_28 for the match. I’m OK with sitting Lowry, but baffled as to why DeMar played 35+ minutes.
The Raptors’ high scorer was Terrence Ross, which words I hope to write many more times in the future than I have in the past. His shot selection was excellent, as he surprised defenders with aggressive takes to the hoop several times. He had 27 points, with no turnovers in 35+ minutes. This was a team-wide attribute on an otherwise drab evening; 5 turnovers is excellent.
Cory Joseph got the start at point guard, but was in foul trouble early (this was yet another night of curious decisions from the zebras). Delon Wright was next man up, and he enjoyed the best night of his rookie campaign. He hit some long balls, got to the charity stripe, dished out six dimes against one turnover – well done indeed. Delon is an old rookie, having completed his schooling before entering pro ball, and his maturity was on display. I’d like to see more of him, perhaps in a combo guard role.
I’ve delayed long enough, and now must answer the question: what happened to the Raptors’ defense in the disastrous third quarter? Silly answer – they allowed too many first shots. The Pistons were 14 of 18. Steve Blake, of rocking-chair age in hoops terms, led their scoring with 8 points – on 2 shots. Detroit tried ten free-throws, to Toronto’s one. Reggie Bullock, fer Gawd sakes, played 5+ minutes without impact on the scoresheet, yet was plus_12. Let it go, Rapture Nation. Like the phantom foul which negated a nice driving basket by CoJo, or the multiple steps taken by Marcus Morris which led to a totally improper bucket, Q3 was just a bad dream.
The Raptors come home for an extended period, starting with a Wednesday tilt against an improving Utah Jazz team. This home stand, with all seven games against beatable opponents, provides a wonderful opportunity for the Raptors to cement their lofty standing. Let’s hope all hands get healthy in time.