TORONTO — Fred VanVleet had a game-high 35 points and eight assists as the Toronto Raptors survived a late Detroit comeback effort to earn a 119-118 win over the Pistons on Sunday.
It was VanVleet’s ninth 30-point game of the season, tying a career mark. Their previous high was eight from 2021-22.
Pascal Siakam added 28 points, including 11 in the fourth quarter, for Toronto (27–31). Scottie Barnes had 20.
Jakob Poelt had six points and five rebounds in 25 minutes of action in his first start since being traded to the Raptors on Thursday. He exited the game with 2:32 remaining.
Bojan Bogdanovic scored a team-high 33 points for Detroit (15-43). Alec Burks and Hamidou Diallo added 21 and 18 points, respectively, off the bench.
After a late-game collapse saw the Raptors snap their three-game winning streak against Utah on Friday, Toronto managed to fend off the Hurricanes on Sunday after nearly surrendering a 14-point fourth-quarter lead. achieved.
Siakam scored six of the Raptors’ first eight points in the final frame to give Toronto a 92–78 lead with 1:56 left.
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But Detroit scored one as two Burke free throws with 33.1 seconds left made it a 116–110 game.
A Barnes turnover led to Jaden Ivey hitting a three-pointer to cut the Pistons’ deficit to three with 10.1 remaining. After two VanVleet free throws made it 118–113 with seven seconds on the clock, Bogdanovic cut it to three again with two free throws of his own.
But Precious Achiuva later went 1-for-2 from the charity stripe to give the Raptors a four-point lead, despite another Ivey three with 0.1 left to put Toronto ahead for the win.
VanVleet had 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting in the opening quarter, including two early three-pointers, which fueled the Raptors’ 8-2 run to take an 18-9 lead with 4:10 remaining.
However, a late surge from the Pistons, led by Burks’ 11 first-quarter points, helped Detroit close out the frame only 31–29.
In the second, Barnes started a short-lived 5–0 run at the Raptors, hitting a three-pointer followed by a steal that led to a Siakam fast break dunk with three minutes left to go up 39–34.
But the Pistons kept it close, and Bogdanovic’s three-pointer tied it at 44 with 3:54 remaining. Shortly after, Stewart hit a contested layup to give Detroit its first lead of the game. Siakam fouled Bogdanovic with 2.0 seconds remaining to give Toronto a 53–52 halftime lead.
After an early exchange of baskets and the lead, VanVleet hit a three-pointer and assisted on two other baskets in a 10–0 Raptors run that gave Toronto a 67–58 lead with 7:47 left in the third.
After an 8–2 run from the Pistons to make it a four-point game, Chris Boucher euro-stepped around Bogdanovic and made a two-handed fast break dunk with the foul. He made the free throw and another VanVleet three-pointer restored the Raptors’ 10-point lead. Toronto closed out the frame to lead 84–77.
missing
Raptors head coach Nick Nurse was out on Sunday for personal reasons. Lead assistant Adrian Griffin stood in place of the nurse.
Toronto guard Gary Trent Jr. was also ruled out with a left shin strain shortly before tip-off. Forward Ozzie Anunobi missed his eighth straight game with a left hand sprain.
next
The Raptors host the Orlando Magic on Tuesday in the fourth of a five-game homestand. The Magic lead the season series against Toronto 2–1, having earned back-to-back wins on December 9 and December 11 the last time the two met in Orlando.
The Pistons will play the second game of a three-game road trip against the Boston Celtics on Wednesday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on February 12, 2023.
© 2023 The Canadian Press