Field Level Media
Apr 9, 2018
Jonas Valanciunas powered for 25 points and nine rebounds in three quarters, and the Toronto Raptors erased an early 17-point deficit while rolling past the depleted Detroit Pistons 108-98 on Monday night.
DeMar DeRozan had 16 points and seven assists, and Jakob Poeltl added 12 points off the bench. Kyle Lowry chipped in 11 points, six rebounds and nine assists, and Lorenzo Brown also scored 11 for the Raptors.
Toronto, which locked up the top seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs last week, swept the four-game season series.
The Pistons were missing three starters in their home finale, including their two top players. Center Andre Drummond sat out with a sore Achilles tendon. Power forward Blake Griffin missed his seventh straight game with an ankle injury, and shooting guard Reggie Bullock was sidelined by a swollen knee.
Rookie Luke Kennard led Detroit with 20 points, while Reggie Jackson had 16 points and nine assists. Ish Smith contributed 15 points off the bench, Anthony Tolliver tossed in 13 and Henry Ellenson added 12.
Power forward Serge Ibaka got the night off for Toronto.
Ellenson gave the Pistons their biggest lead at 53-36 when he made a 3-pointer with seven minutes left in the first half. They were still up by 16, 60-44, when Kennard drained a 3-pointer.
The momentum suddenly shifted in the last 3:16 of the half as the Raptors finished it on a 13-0 run. DeRozan, who had 42 points in a 121-119 overtime victory in Detroit last month, scored five of those points.
Lowry's 3-pointer with 6:16 remaining in the third put Toronto on top 71-68. Poeltl scored the last basket of the quarter to give the Raptors an 85-80 advantage.
The Raptors then blew the game open by opening the fourth with a 15-1 run. Poeltl, C.J. Miles and Brown combined for all of those Toronto points.
Detroit wasn't through, as it scored 12 straight to cut the Raptors' lead to 102-95. Poeltl scored inside to end the Pistons' surge.
--Field Level Media