A last second Lou Williams 3-point attempt missed wide left, handing the Pistons a well-earned 108-104 victory over the Toronto Raptors Tuesday night.
The Pistons jumped all over the Raptors early, hitting seven first quarter 3-pointers en route to a 37-point frame and a 10-point lead. Detroit maintained their double digit advantage until late in the third quarter when the Raptors made a move to cut the deficit to a manageable margin heading into the final period.
Toronto rode an 11-0 fourth quarter rally to seize a one-point lead on a DeMar DeRozan jumper midway through the frame. However, the Pistons responded, scoring the next seven, capped by a running banker from Reggie Jackson.
The lead would swing back and forth for the remainder of the period before a Reggie Jackson free throw and Tayshaun Prince driving layup delivered a three-point lead for which the Pistons would never again relinquish.
Reggie Jackson led the Pistons with another stellar performance, racking up 28 points (10-18), 5 rebounds and 9 assists.
Andre Drummond turned in his 40th double-double of the season with a 20-point, 18-rebound showing.
Key Notes & Observations
- For the second time this season, The Palace hosted a largely pro-Toronto crowd Tuesday night thanks to “Palace Invasion“, featuring at least five buses worth of patrons making the trip from Canada to Auburn Hills.
- Kyle Lowry played just 11 minutes for the Raptors, leaving the second quarter with back spasms.
- In all, three Pistons finished with at least 20 points. Jackson led with 28, Drummond scored 20, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope poured in 26, including 18 in the first half.
- Despite hitting just 5-17 shots from the field, Toronto’s DeMar DeRozan led the Raptors with 22 points by hitting all 12 of his free throw attempts.
- Anthony Tolliver shook off an 0-7 performance against the Celtics by hitting 3-5 shots from deep and scoring 11 points while once again starting in place of the injured Greg Monroe.
Next Game: Friday, March 27; Detroit Pistons @ Orlando Magic; 7:00 p.m., FSD
