The Toronto Raptors had an impressive showing Friday night against the Phoenix Suns, playing like they wanted to and bringing a slump to a pause. Yet, Sunday’s game against the No. 1 in the East Detroit Pistons was another test. Can the Raptors string some wins together? More importantly, does this team have what it takes to win against teams that have better records than them? Maybe even the best team in the Eastern Conference?
A lot of the Raptors’ big wins this season have come, ultimately, against
teams that are lower than them in the standings. It made a lot of sense when they were floating around the No. 2 and No. 3 seed area. Detroit is the one team in the Eastern Conference that has been ahead of them in the standings this entire season, Toronto was never able to reach them in those fleeting weeks they were near the top.
Detroit has been fantastic this season, coming into Sunday’s game with a 48-18 record, with their recent rebuild finally taking shape. The last time these teams played each other earlier in the year, Detroit easily put the Raptors to bed in a blowout — the same thing (logically) could have happened Sunday. Toronto had great energy in their win against Phoenix, though, so there was also a chance of that momentum carrying over.
“Against a team like that, you need to set a tone,” Darko said about playing a force like the Pistons.
Detroit did make its comeback, closing the gap from 10 points to 5 points in the waning minutes. The Raptors have made themselves quite acquainted with clutch game situations this season, but against the No. 1 team in the conference? What better way to test a young and developing team? Something about this potential win felt bigger than the one on Friday, or many this year. Being able to win over the top team in the East was more than just a tick in the W column; it would be a signal of progress being made and lessons being learned after the past few weeks.
Toronto was able to hang on for the first half of the game, despite a Scottie Barnes scare in the first quarter. Barnes took a trip to the locker room early on, but was able to return and help Toronto keep up with the Pistons. At halftime, the Raptors were up 64-59, only down 5 points. They really turned it up in the third quarter, gaining a 10+ point lead. Their ball movement was especially impressive, making the most of their possessions while also beating Detroit on the glass. After having a low-scoring game on Friday, it was also nice to see Jakob Poeltl playing well and moving freely out there. He had a double-double by the third quarter.
It was all about closing out in the fourth quarter — again — for the Raptors. It could have gone either way; the Raptors have struggled in the fourth in recent weeks, but Scottie Barnes also has a way of turning it up himself in these close late-game situations. Would they fold to the pressure of a great team like Detroit?
In the end, the Raptors, led by Brandon Ingram, were able to hold off the Pistons, securing the 119-108 win over the Pistons in truly one of the most impressive wins of the season. Ingram’s 34 points helped push the team over the edge, while Scottie’s defence helped hold off the final push from Detroit.
“I’m a broken record talking about Scottie and his impact on defence,” Darko said, when asked about how this performance and surpassing 100 blocks on the season impacts his Defensive Player of the Year candidacy.
“I thought out competitive spirit was there the entire game,” Darko said after the win, “we just kept fighting the entire game.”
It was a very balanced effort as well, with RJ Barrett scoring 27 points, Poeltl ending with a 21-point, 18-rebound double-double, and Barnes ending with a 14-point, 10-rebound double-double for himself.
Overall, this win was a great way to build momentum going into the Raptors’ last West Coast road trip of the season. The confidence they’ve accumulated this weekend after a rough week last week will be extremely helpful as the Raptors (this current iteration, anyway) continue deeper into uncharted territory — making a true playoff push.
