Raptors at Pistons
The Toronto Raptors are falling off the pace in the Eastern Conference playoff race and look to reverse course when they visit the Detroit Pistons on Friday. Fourth-place Toronto was roughed up 123-102 by Oklahoma City on Thursday to fall four games behind second-place Boston and 2 1/2 back of Washington for third with 14 contests remaining.
The Raptors trailed by 27 points after three quarters and by as many as 30 during the final stanza in an effort that angered coach Dwane Casey. "That exhibition of basketball is unacceptable," Casey told reporters. "I want to apologize to our fans, to everybody, the way we played. That's just the effort. The competitive spirit wasn't there. That team came out and played like it was a championship game, we played like it was a middle-of-the-season game." The Pistons have dropped back-to-back contests after winning 12 of their previous 17 and are tied with Miami for the final playoff spot in the East. Detroit has averaged just 89.5 points over its last two games while losing by an average of 23 points to Cleveland and Utah.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, Sportsnet One (Toronto), FSN Detroit
ABOUT THE RAPTORS (39-29): Toronto has dropped five of its last eight games as it tries to play through the absence of All-Star point guard Kyle Lowry, who has missed 11 straight contests following wrist surgery. Casey told reporters that Lowry went to New York for a routine re-examination and the healing appears to be going well. "It's on schedule, on time, but still no timetable or anything like that," said Casey, "but everything checked out and it's where it should be right now."
ABOUT THE PISTONS (33-35): Center Andre Drummond and point guard Reggie Jackson were pulled in the third quarter of Wednesday's loss to the Jazz and never returned. Coach Stan Van Gundy opted to stick with center Aron Baynes and point guard Ish Smith over two of his top players. "Ish was playing a lot better," Van Gundy told reporters. "I went away from Reggie early in the second half. He was absolutely exhausted 2 1/2 minutes in. I mean dead tired, he couldn't catch his breath. ... Andre played seven minutes or so, but Baynes just played a lot better. A lot more energy and played a lot better."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Raptors All-Star SG DeMar DeRozan averaged 33 points as the team split two meetings with the Pistons earlier this season.
2. Toronto SF DeMarre Carroll (ankle) scored two points in 15 minutes against Oklahoma City after missing three of the previous four games.
3. Detroit PF Marcus Morris is just 24-of-71 shooting over his last six contests.