The Detroit Pistons were reminded of how essential Cade Cunningham is to their lineup when his absence on Saturday led to a 111-100 loss at Orlando.
With Cunningham sidelined by a hip injury, Detroit struggled and is unlikely to have their franchise player back when they host Toronto on Monday night. The team listed Cunningham as doubtful on Sunday.
Cunningham sustained the hip injury after a hard fall late in the fourth quarter of an overtime loss to Charlotte on Thursday.
Without Cunningham, who averages 23.5 points and 8.9 assists per game, the Pistons’ offense predictably faltered. They committed 17 turnovers against the Magic, leading to 29 points for Orlando, and managed only 16 assists.
Detroit, now on a three-game losing streak, allowed 17 offensive rebounds and lacked a 20-point scorer to compensate for Cunningham’s absence.
Meanwhile, the Raptors will play the second game of a back-to-back set on Monday after losing to league leader Cleveland, 122-108, on Sunday.
A poor first quarter saw the Raptors fall behind 38-22 after the first 12 minutes.
Despite recent wins against Indiana and Minnesota, teams that reached the conference finals last season, Toronto struggled. RJ Barrett, who scored a combined 70 points in those victories, was limited to 16 points on 6-of-18 shooting by the Cavs.
The loss dropped the Raptors to 0-9 on the road. They need a win on Monday to avoid matching their worst road start in franchise history, set in 1997-98. They are currently in the midst of a four-game road swing.
Bruce Brown is expected to make his season debut during the trip, having been rehabbing a knee injury that hampered him last season.
Detroit previously recorded a 99-95 victory over Toronto on November 15, led by Malik Beasley’s 20 points in an NBA Cup game.
