The Toronto Raptors and Detroit Pistons are trying to get by without their top players. One of those teams will collect a much-needed victory when they meet in Detroit on Monday.
Toronto has lost three of its last four games and four of its last six. Forward Pascal Siakam has missed the last five games and will remain sidelined on Monday due to a right adductor strain.
The Raptors are also playing without forward Precious Achiuwa, who has partial ligament tears in his right ankle. Top guard Fred VanVleet didn’t suit up in a 118-104 loss at Indiana on Saturday due to a non-COVID illness.
Detroit has dropped three straight and is tied with Charlotte for the worst record in the Eastern Conference at 3-11. Franchise player and second-leading scorer Cade Cunningham has missed the last two games due to left shin soreness. The team announced prior to its 117-108 loss to Boston on Saturday that Cunningham will be sidelined at least three more games.
After allowing 132 points to Oklahoma City the previous night, the Raptors’ defense wasn’t much better against the Pacers. Indiana shot 50 percent from the field and racked up 33 assists on 41 baskets. Toronto did force 21 turnovers but gave 66 second-half points while squandering a 13-point halftime advantage.
Offensively, the perimeter game was severely lacking as the Raptors made just seven of 35 3-point attempts.
O.G. Anunoby tried to pick up the slack with 26 points, one off his season high, but Scottie Barnes was limited to eight points on 4-for-16 shooting.
Bojan Bogdanovic led Detroit with 28 points on Saturday and rookie Jaden Ivey had 26 but the Pistons couldn’t overcome a 43-point eruption from Celtics star Jayson Tatum.
Ivey, who had four turnovers, was upset with his play during crunch time.
The Pistons will need big performances from their rookie floor leader to offset the temporary loss of Cunningham, who has battled shin pain since training camp.
