Pistons 108, Raptors 104
Pistons 108, Raptors 104: Reggie Jackson recorded 28 points, nine assists and five rebounds as Detroit held off visiting Toronto to earn its third consecutive win.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope added 26 points for the Pistons, who trail the Celtics by 4 1/2 games for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Andre Drummond produced 21 points and 18 rebounds while Anthony Tolliver scored 11 for Detroit, which dished out 26 assists compared to seven turnovers.
DeMar DeRozan tallied 22 points and 10 rebounds for the Raptors, who fell a half-game behind the Bulls in the race for third spot in the East. Lou Williams had 19 points off the bench but missed a potential go-ahead 3-pointer with 1.6 seconds left as Toronto wasted a 27-of-29 performance from the free-throw line.
DeRozan scored four straight points as part of an 11-0 run to put the Raptors ahead 91-90 before Drummond sparked a 7-0 spurt to put the Pistons back in front by six with 4:01 remaining. Patrick Patterson converted a clutch three-point play as Toronto reclaimed a 102-101 edge with 1:54 left before Tayshaun Prince finished with his left hand in traffic to give Detroit a 105-102 lead it would not relinquish.
Detroit knocked down seven 3-pointers in the first quarter, including three by Tolliver, to go up 37-27 and Caldwell-Pope poured in 18 points in the first half to give the Pistons a 60-48 advantage. Jackson connected from beyond the arc to put Detroit on top 75-57 before Patterson and Williams buried back-to-back 3-pointers to pull the Raptors within 83-74.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Jackson has dished out 61 assists in his last five games. … Drummond posted his 40th double-double of the season. … Raptors All-Star G Kyle Lowry scored five points before leaving the game with back spasms in the second quarter.