+1
The Detroit Pistons lost their second straight game Wednesday night, falling to the Toronto Raptors 103-93 in Canada.
A couple of weeks ago when both the Detroit Pistons (11-23) and Toronto Raptors (9-23) had only a couple of wins each, this would have been one of those 'eh, I think I'll just watch CNN instead' match-ups, but in recent weeks the Pistons have started to heat up and they should provide an interesting basketball game when they play Wednesday evening.
Detroit have been heating up in recent weeks thanks to resurgent play by guys like Greg Monroe, after winning only two games all January they've taken February by storm and pushed themselves to 11 wins overall. They still won't be sniffing the playoffs at this rate, but they've at least given the fans in Detroit some hope for the future after looking like one of the worst teams in a long time when the season began. Only a last second surge by Kyrie Irving and the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday has the Pistons not going into Wednesday's game with a four game winning streak.
At home, the Raptors will just be looking to go into the All Star break on a high note after losing four straight games including one to the NBA's worst team, the Charlotte Bobcats.
The game will be at the Air Canada Centre at 7 PM ET.
For more on the Detroit Pistons, check out Detroit Bad Boys. For more on the Toronto Raptors, head to RaptorsHQ.
Pistons Vs. Raptors Final Score: Detroit Falls 103-93 For Second Straight Loss
The Detroit Pistons have now lost two in a row, their second coming against an even lowlier Toronto Raptors squad on Wednesday night, raising questions as to whether the three-game winning streak preceding Tuesday's loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers was simply a mirage. Greg Monroe had 30 points, 12 coming from the free throw line, but the Pistons could not keep pace for 48 minutes, losing 103-93 on the road.
The Raptors shot 52.6 percent from the field, and held a 47-37 rebounding advantage over the Pistons to record just their 10th win of the season, and first in five games. They never trailed after the 6:11 mark of the first period, expanding their lead to 14 points in the second quarter before taking a 53-45 lead into halftime. The Pistons pulled within three points midway through the third, but the Raptors promptly went on an 11-2 run to effectively shut the door on Detroit.
DeMar DeRozan led the way with 23 points and seven rebounds for the game. Aaron Gray pitched in a double-double, grabbing 12 rebounds to go along with 12 points. Jose Calderon had 15 assists to make up for a 1-for-4 performance from the field. On the Pistons end, Brandon Knight had 16 points but had an off night from beyond 3-point arc, going 2-for-8. Tayshaun Prince had 14 points and seven rebounds.
Complete Coverage >
For more on the Pistons, head over to the SB Nation blog Detroit Bad Boys. For more on the Raptors, check out Raptors HQ. As always, stay tuned to SB Nation Detroit.
Feb 22 10:19p by Louis Bien