After an up-and-down road trip the Raptors returned home to win two straight games in a dominant fashion. Now, they embark for a single away game to face the Detroit Pistons for their third and final contest of the season.
Currently 1-1 in prior matchups, Toronto won the most recent game by double-digits only two weeks ago. They also have a rest advantage, but with both teams missing prominent players due to injury, this could be anyone’s game and ultimately come down to effort.
At this point in the
season, most games are “must-win”. Tied with Atlanta but holding the tie-breaker, they continue to try to avoid a play-in game. Only 3.5 games separate them from 10th, so there’s little margin for error here. Detroit has a comfortable 4-game lead in first, but wouldn’t want to give away the lead to Boston either.
Without Quickley, the facilitation game will likely be what the Pistons attack. Detroit is a tough, physical team, who leads the league in steals with 10.5 per game. Protecting the ball and limiting turnovers will also limit extra possessions and scoring opportunities for Detroit. Toronto will have to look to Scottie and Shead for most of the playmaking as both have shown an ability to facilitate for the team.
The Raptors are also going to be limited in scorers potentially missing BI, RJ, and IQ. Hopefully at least one of RJ or BI is available, but in the event that neither is, Scottie will have to have a performance warranted of his All-Star nod tonight. Jak could have another strong performance, and Ja’Kobe has had a great season so far and could chip in to help keep them afloat. Preventing lapses on defence that could give up points that would be difficult to earn back could be the key here.
Another challenge for Toronto will be the lack of bodies on the court. With the lengthy injury report, guys are likely going to see more minutes than they’re accustomed to. Pace and transition play, both things that require tremendous effort and energy are going to be a challenge when doing it for that long. This is great conditioning for the playoffs, especially playing fatigued in the fourth quarter and needing to execute effectively. This execution has been another struggle for them this season, one that needs to be worked out before the playoffs.
Probable Starters
Toronto: Scottie Barnes, Jakob Poeltl, RJ Barrett, Ja’Kobe Walter, Jamal Shead
Detroit: Ausar Thompson, Daniss Jenkins, Kevin Huerter, Jalen Duren, Tobias Harris
Injury Report
Toronto: RJ Barrett (Probable: Shoulder stiffness), Jamison Battle (Out: Not with team), Chucky Hepburn (Out: G-League), Brandon Ingram (Questionable: Heel inflammation), Trayce Jackson-Davis (Out: G-League), Collin Murray-Boyles (Questionable: Back spasms), Immanuel Quickley (Out: Plantar fasciitis)
Detroit: Cade Cunningham (Out: Chest), Isaiah Stewart (Out: Calf)
Where to Watch
Tune in at 8pm ET on Sportsnet!
