The Toronto Raptors eked out a win against the Detroit Pistons at the Scotiabank Arena on Sunday, improving their NBA regular season record to 27-31. The team is currently 10th seed in the Eastern Conference, looking to make their way up into a guaranteed playoff spot. The Raps have gone 6-4 in their last 10 games.
Fred VanVleet dropped 35 points to lead all scorers and Pascal Siakam had 28 of which 11 came in the final quarter. Scotty Barnes chipped in with 20 points on 5-6 shooting, including three from deep. The Raptors bench production was once again on the lower side, only managing to drop 19 points in total.
On the Pistons side of the ball, Bojan Bogdonavic had one of his better outings, going 10-18 from the field on his way to scoring 33 points. Center Isaiah Stewart and point guard Killian Hayes added 16 and 18 respectively.
Overall, the Raptors had firm control over the game until late in the fourth quarter when the Pistons made a furious rally that fell just short. Detroit outscored Toronto 19-8 in the final two minutes to almost upset the Raptors on their home floor. Ultimately it was Precious Achiuwa who hit a clutch free throw to ice the game with 4.1 seconds to go.
Toronto shot 48.4% from the field and 36.7% from three-point land but missed a number of free throws down the stretch which made the game closer than it needed to be. The main difference in the two teams came in the turnover column, with the Raps only conceding the ball 8 times to the Pistons 16.
Who’s Next for the Raptors
The Raptors will be squaring off against the Orlando Magic next on Tuesday night at the Scotiabank Arena. This will be the team’s fourth game in a five game home stand.
The Magic are 23-34 on the season but lead the head-to-head series against the Raptors 2-1 this year. This will be their second game on a three-game road trip that will end with a visit to the Boston Celtics on Wednesday night.
Betting on the Raptors in 2023
The All-Star break is coming up, marking the business end of the NBA regular season. If you plan on betting on the Raptors for any of their remaining games, be sure to check out our picks for the best NBA betting sites for the best odds.
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