Raptors at Pistons
The Detroit Pistons snapped out of their offensive funk on Friday and earned a 111-97 win over the Los Angeles Lakers, just in time for a meeting with a potential first-round playoff foe. The Pistons will see how they match up when they host the Toronto Raptors on Sunday.
Detroit averaged 74.5 points in losses at Brooklyn and Miami before coming home on Friday and scoring 65 second-half points against a shorthanded Lakers squad. "I loved our compete level," Pistons coach Dwane Casey told reporters. "Win, lose or draw, when we fight and scrap like that, good things usually happen. I thought that was the difference. That's what you've got to do at this time of year. It's hard to get that energy level, the focus, but that's what we're here for." The Raptors own the second-best record in the NBA, sit three games behind the East-leading Milwaukee Bucks with 13 games left to play and are coming off their own win over Los Angeles - a 111-98 home triumph on Thursday. Star forward Kawhi Leonard scored 25 points to lead the way in that win but could sit out Sunday as part of his load management regimen with a home date against the New York Knicks scheduled for Monday.
TV: 4 p.m. ET, TSN (Toronto), FS Detroit
ABOUT THE RAPTORS (49-20): Toronto was outscored 58-32 in the paint by the Lakers on Thursday but knocked down 16 3-pointers and went 23-of-29 from the free-throw line in the win. Power forward Pascal Siakam went 3-of-16 from the floor but collected six assists, five rebounds, two blocks and two steals and felt good about his performance. "The thing with me, I can miss shots, but there are other things I'm going to bring to the table that is going to have the coach have me out there," Siakam told reporters. "I've just got to do my best and do other things, not making shots, missing layups and all that, just do other things to help."
ABOUT THE PISTONS (35-33): While most of the team was happy to bounce back and put a game in the win column, All-Star forward Blake Griffin still saw some cracks in the performance on Friday. "They've got two guys out for the season, resting their best player, playing some call-up guys, played last night, from what I heard got in at four in the morning - and they played harder than us for most of the game," Griffin told reporters. "Obviously, you take the wins, but you've got to be playing with the right spirit and playing the right brand of basketball. I didn't think we did that tonight." Griffin struggled to 3-of-12 from the floor in the win and is 8-of-31 over the last three contests.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Pistons reserve SG Langston Galloway scored 23 points on 8-of-10 shooting Friday after totaling 12 points on 4-of-16 in the previous two contests.
2. Toronto PG Kyle Lowry (ankle) sat out Thursday and is questionable for Sunday.
3. Detroit took each of the first two meetings, including a 112-107 overtime triumph at home on March 3.