Raptors-Pistons Preview

By JEFF BARTL
Posted Apr 21 2012 2:13PM

The Detroit Pistons and Toronto Raptors are finishing disappointing seasons. Even if the condensed schedule or multiple injuries have contributed to the losing, neither coach wants to hear the excuses.

Detroit hosts Toronto on Sunday night in a matchup of teams looking to break out of slumps.

The Pistons (23-40) are coming off a 2-4 stretch in which they played six games in eight days, falling 91-80 to visiting Minnesota on Thursday before finally getting consecutive days off.

The latest loss was their third game in three nights, but coach Lawrence Frank refused to blame fatigue for the lackluster effort.

"There are no excuses," Frank told the team's official website. "The schedule is what it is. The last time we had three (games) in three (days), our best game was the third game on the road. This is when you have to fight even harder through things. It's not going to be easy, nor should it be easy."

Toronto coach Dwane Casey felt similarly after his squad fell 96-72 at Miami on Wednesday. The Raptors (22-41) have played most of their season without injured star Andrea Bargnani, and starting point guard Jose Calderon (eye) may be done for the season after missing the last four games.

Still, Casey said his players need to step up their games if Toronto wants to be a playoff team down the road.

"I told our core guys if we want to get to where we want to go, we have to have a full fight for 48 minutes," Casey said. "When things get hard - which they're going to in the NBA - (we need) to be mentally tough to know how to fight back."

Toronto has lost six of eight and tied a franchise low with 23 second-half points against the Heat. James Johnson scored 18 points and DeMar DeRozan added 12.

"If we plan on playing in the playoffs next year, that's how it is every game," said DeRozan, who had averaged 22.3 points over his previous three games. "We've got to be able to take it."

DeRozan scored 23 points to help Toronto overcome Greg Monroe's 30 points and 14 rebounds in a 103-93 victory Feb. 22, ending a three-game losing streak to the Pistons.

Detroit evened the season series March 10 in the most recent meeting, with Rodney Stuckey and rookie Brandon Knight combining for 39 points and 15 assists in a 105-86 win.

The Pistons, though, have dropped seven of nine overall. The starting lineup shot a combined 16 for 50 from the field in Thursday's loss.

Will Bynum had 17 points off the bench in the fourth quarter, but Detroit failed to score more than that total in any of the first three periods.

Bynum agreed with Frank that the compressed schedule shouldn't be a factor at this point.

"We haven't had legs all season," Bynum said. "Can't complain about that now."

Detroit has won 13 of the last 16 home matchups with Toronto.

Gordon helps Pistons pull out victory over Raptors

Posted Apr 22 2012 9:53PM

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) Ben Gordon gave the Detroit Pistons a winning end to an otherwise ugly game.

The Pistons shook off an awful first half and Gordon scored seven of their final eight points - including the go-ahead basket - to hang on for a 76-73 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Sunday night.

Gordon's 3-pointer with less than 3 minutes to play broke a 68-all tie and he added four subsequent free throws to keep Detroit ahead. He and rookie Brandon Knight each scored 19 points to help the Pistons end a two-game losing streak.

"Obviously all game was pretty much an ugly game," Gordon said. "We just stuck it out and tried to be more persistent than they were."

DeMar DeRozan had 16 to lead the Raptors, who lost their third straight.

The Pistons couldn't celebrate the victory until Linas Kleiza's wide-open 3-point attempt bounced off the rim as time expired.

"LK had a great look at the end of the game and that's all we can ask for," said Raptors Coach Dwane Casey, who did not play DeRozan in the final quarter to give a handful of other players more minutes as his team plays out the final games of the season.

Alan Anderson had two chances to give the Raptors the lead in the final 20 seconds but missed both shots.

Gordon's 3-pointer capped a second half that had 15 lead changes and five ties. Detroit turned 17 Raptors turnovers into 18 points and shot 20 percent better from the field in the last 24 minutes.

Neither team will be playing beyond the end of the regular season and Pistons coach Lawrence Frank said that seemed to show Sunday night.

"Both teams obviously are in very similar situations," he said. "Almost identical records, both not going to the playoffs.

"Those games go either one of two ways: Either 130-126 or it's this."

Toronto took a 34-29 lead to intermission after the teams combined for the NBA's second-lowest halftime output of the season. The Pistons made just 27 percent of their field-goal attempts in the opening half and the Raptors (35.1) weren't much better. Detroit's 29 points were the fewest they've scored in a first half this season.

Greg Monroe had nine points and 17 of Detroit's 41 rebounds. Reserves Kleiza and Gary Forbes finished with 12 and 10 points, respectively, for the Raptors, who also got 10 rebounds from Solomon Alabi.

NOTES: Casey said he doubted G Jose Calderon will play in either of the team's final two games. He's been out since suffering a cut above his right eye in an April 11 loss at Philadelphia. . Pistons F Ben Wallace returned after missing Thursday's loss to Minnesota to attend a funeral. . Kleiza (right knee) played for the Raptors after missing two games. . Indiana and Boston had the league's lowest-scoring first half Jan. 6 when they had a combined 58 points at the break.

Notebook: Pistons 76, Raptors 73

Posted Sunday April 22, 2012 9:47PM

By Dana Gauruder, for NBA.com

THE FACTS: Reserve guard Ben Gordon scored 15 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter as the Detroit Pistons edged the Toronto Raptors at The Palace Sunday night, 76-73. Rookie guard Brandon Knight also had 19 points for the Pistons, who had lost seven of their last nine. Guard DeMar DeRozan led the Raptors, who have lost three straight and seven of their last nine, with 16 points.

QUOTABLE: "Anytime you can get any kind of positive feel from winning, there's always value in that. Although you might not make the playoffs, you still want to grind it out and take every game like it's your last. That's what playoff teams do and that's how you develop into a playoff team."
-- Gordon on playing out the string

THE STAT: 6. With both teams in an offensive funk -- Toronto shot 37.7 percent from the field while Detroit shot 36.6 percent -- the game was close throughout. The biggest lead of the game was six as the lead changed hands 21 times and the game was tied 16 times. The Pistons are now 2-11 in games in which they've scored fewer than 80 points. Their other low-scoring victory was 79-77 over Washington on March 26.

TURNING POINT: Gordon put the Pistons ahead to stay, 71-68, on a 3-pointer with 2:44 remaining. The Raptors had several chances in the final minute to go ahead or tie it. Forward Alan Anderson missed a runner with 23.9 seconds left, though the Raptors felt Pistons center Greg Monroe committed goaltending on the play. Anderson and Linas Kleiza then missed open 3-pointers on Toronto's last two possessions.

QUOTABLE II: "It was a rugged game, a nasty game. Neither team could find a rhythm. Guys got some shots they wanted but the flow wasn't there on both ends. Obviously, Ben Gordon caught a rhythm at the perfect time for us."
-- Pistons forward Tayshaun Prince on the poor shooting for both teams

HOT: Knight had scored just five points apiece in the previous two games after a career-high 28 points against Cleveland Tuesday. After a two-day layoff, Knight was reenergized. He stopped settling for jump shots and drove into the teeth of the defense while also converting on fast breaks. He had 10 third-quarter points on four layups and a tip-in.

NOT: Anderson had scored at least 12 points in six straight games but went cold in his return to Michigan. Anderson, who starred at Michigan State, was held to five points by Prince on 2-for-12 shooting, including an 0-for-4 performance on 3-point attempts.

GOOD MOVE: Pistons coach Lawrence Frank stuck with Gordon throughout the fourth quarter, even when starter Rodney Stuckey was ready to come back for crunch time. Stuckey instead replaced Knight, while Gordon scored seven of the Pistons' last eight points.

BAD MOVE: Toronto coach Dwane Casey didn't play DeRozan in the fourth quarter, instead going with the combination of Anderson and Kleiza on the wings. The Raptors missed 11 of their final 14 field-goal attempts.

NOTABLE: The Pistons have shot below 37 percent in three straight games. ... Toronto center Andrea Bargnani (calf) and guard Jose Calderon (eye) did not play. ... Monroe grabbed 17 rebounds. ... The Raptors' starters combined for just 33 points. ... Rap star MC Hammer performed at halftime.

UP NEXT: For the Raptors, Monday @ Milwaukee, Thursday vs. New Jersey. For the Pistons, Monday @ Indiana, Thursday vs. Philadelphia.

• Raptors: Bargnani, Bayless
• Pistons: Macklin

• Raptors: --
• Pistons: --

• Lead Changes: 21
• Times Tied: 16

• Arena: Palace of Auburn Hills, Detroit, MI
• Officials: #25 Tony Brothers, #29 Mark Lindsay, #44 Eli Roe
• Attendance: 14370
• Duration: 2:22