DETROIT (Michigan News Source) – Battling hard through all four quarters, Detroit couldn’t find a basket as Toronto held onto a one-point win over the Pistons, 119-118. Toronto’s Fred VanVleet had 35 points as Detroit didn’t have an answer to stop him. The Pistons turned the ball over 16 times and had only three steals.
“We’ve just got to be smarter with the ball, stronger with the ball. A lot of turnovers were self-inflicted, throwing it to nobody, throwing it to air,” said head coach Dwane Casey.
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Bojan Bogdanovic led the team with 33 points as 10 points came on free throws. Alec Burks added 21 points while both Hamidou Diallo and Jaden Ivey added 18 points. Jalen Duren, who injured his ankle in the game, posted just six points after having 30 points on Friday night.
Casey said, “He turned it pretty good. Just trying to go up and down the floor and when they were attacking the rim, he just couldn’t pivot and move. Hopefully it’s not something that’s long lasting.”
With 30 seconds left in the game, Detroit was within six, 116-110, when Burks made two free throws. Isaiah Livers stole a pass with 18 seconds left and Ivey cut the lead to three, 116-113, with 10 seconds left on a three-pointer. VanVleet was fouled and made both free throws for Vancouver moving the lead back to five, 118-113. Bogdanovic was then fouled with six seconds left making both free throws to move within three, 118-115, but Toronto made one of two free throws with four seconds left. Ivey hit a last second three pointer with 0.1 left in the game for the 119-118 final.
In the first half, Detroit trailed by two after the first period, 31-29, and was down one at the half, 53-52. They battled Toronto in the third taking the lead three different times in the first two minutes with the last being, 58-57, on a Duren dunk. Toronto went on a 10-0 run over two and half minutes for a nine-point lead, 67-58. Detroit never had the lead again as Toronto took a seven-point lead, 84-77, into the fourth.
Detroit will host Boston, who is 41-16, on Wednesday at 7;30 p.m. on Bally Sports Detroit.
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