In a game with serious lottery implications, the Detroit Pistons trail Toronto 33-29 after two quarters of play in a startlingly-low scoring affair. The two teams combined to produce just 29 points in the opening 12 minutes, as all five Pistons starters have been completely unable to find a rhythm offensively.
Forward Tayshaun Prince has paced Detroit in scoring with five points, but is 1-for-4 shooting with a pair of turnovers. In search of his 30th double-double of the year, Detroit big man Greg Monroe also has five points in addition to 10 rebounds at the break, despite also struggling with his shot. Monroe posted a dominant 30-point, 14-rebound performance back against the Raptors on February 22, and is a safe bet to snag a double-double at some point in the second half.
For the Pistons, the lackluster start represented their lowest scoring first half since all the way back in 2008, which is quite an embarrassment. Detroit shooters are just 27% from the field and 60% from the free-throw line, creating a perfect storm on a night when the team is a woeful 0-for-6 from behind the arc. Even though Toronto holds a slim five-point lead, it's hard to imagine either one of these franchises truly wanting to win this game knowing the adverse effect it might have.
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