TORONTO — The Detroit Pistons are playoff-bound.
The Pistons clinched a top-six seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs on Friday, defeating the Toronto Raptors, 117-105. Without four of their top players, they handed business at Scotiabank Arena and added another cherry to one of the most rewarding seasons in franchise history.
Tim Hardaway Jr. led the Pistons with 23 points. Malik Beasley (21 points), Jalen Duren (19 points, 16 rebounds and six assists), Ausar Thompson (15 points, seven rebounds, four assists), Dennis Schroder (12 points, seven assists) and Marcus Sasser (10 points) also scored in double figures.
The Pistons were once again without star guard Cade Cunningham, who missed his sixth straight game with a left shin contusion. Tobias Harris (right heel soreness) was also out, his third absence in four games, and Isaiah Stewart served the final game of a two-game suspension. Jaden Ivey, of course, is still out since breaking his right fibula on New Years.
Toronto was also severely shorthanded, missing Brandon Ingram (left ankle sprain), Scottie Barnes (right hand, MCL joint contusion), RJ Barrett (rest), Gradey Dick (right knee bone bruise) and Ochai Agbaji (rest). Their rotation included four rookies (Ja’Kobe Walter, Jamison Battle, Jonathan Mogbo and Jamal Shead) and two two-way players (former Piston Jared Rhoden and A.J. Lawson).
Walter led the Raptors with 22 points, and Jacob Poeltl added 10 points and 11 rebounds.
The Pistons took control of the game in the second and third quarters, taking a game-high 22-point lead with 8:28 left in the third after a 29-9 run. They closed the first half with a 15-7 run, and then opened the second half with an 11-0 run to crack the 20-point lead threshold, 76-55.
They were unable to put the game away early, though. Five turnovers in the final six minutes of the third quarter helped fuel a 20-6 Raptors run that whittled the lead to eight, 85-77, with three minutes remaining in the period. That momentum carried into the fourth, which they opened with a 14-2 run to get within four, 95-91, with eight minutes to play in the game.
A 3-point play by Shead with 1:56 remaining cut it to six, 109-103, but Schroder followed with a layup, and a pair of free throws at the 1:17 mark to push it back to 10, 113-103.
