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Pistons
beat
Raptors
110-107
to sweep
season
By
Micah
Cummings
Tell Us
Detroit
Sports
DETROIT
- What a
time to
be alive
and to
be a
Detroit
Pistons
fan. The
Pistons
future
is
looking
brighter
by the
day. The
Pistons(36-33)
have
dominated
the
Toronto
Raptors(49-21)
all
season
long,
today
was no
different.
Pistons
defeat
the
Raptors,
110-107.
The
Pistons
finished
3-0
against
Toronto
this
season,
recording
their
first
season-series
sweep
over the
Raptors
since
2008-09.
The
supporters
who know
and love
Detroit
basketball
can tell
things
are
changing
just by
the
excitement
that
took
place on
a Sunday
afternoon
at
Little
Caesars
Arena.
The
atmosphere
felt
like a
playoff
game and
the
crowd
was
rocking
from
left to
right.
At one
point in
time
during
the
game,
some
might’ve
thought
they
were at
Scotiabank
Arena
instead,
because
of the
loud
mixture
of
cheers
and
boos.
Raptor’s
fans
love
traveling
and
supporting
their
team.
Pistons
started
off
strong
with
stifling
defense
in the
first
half of
play.
After
halftime
Pistons
energy
began to
fizzle
during
the
third
quarter
with
3:05
remaining,
Raptors
were
ahead by
eight.
But the
turning
point of
the game
was when
Andre
Drummond
grabbed
a
defensive
rebound
and then
made an
alley
oop
layup,
in the
fourth
with
6:13
left.
Two
important
factors
and
contributions
came
from the
big men
Drummond
and
Blake
Griffin.
Drummond
finished
with 15
points
and 17
rebounds.
Drummond
tied the
single-season
franchise
record
for most
games
with
15/15.
Griffin
scored
25
points
to go
along
with
eight
rebounds,
and made
four
3-pointers.
Reggie
Jackson
consistency
level
has
picked
up with
two
games in
a row
with at
least 20
points.
“I
liked
how we
fought,”
said
Griffin.
They’re
a good
team
with a
bunch of
great
players,
we’ve
done a
great
job
against
them.
The
game
came
down to
the
wire.
The lead
changes
went
back and
fourth
all
night.
During
fourth
quarter
action
there
were
seven
lead
changes
and five
ties.
Raptors
superstar
Kawhi
Leonard
made two
free
throws
to give
them a
two
point
lead
(98-96)with
4:43
left in
the
fourth.
Leonard
had 33
points
with the
addition
of 10
rebounds
and shot
11 out
of 21
from the
field.
Pistons
regained
the lead
back in
the
final
1:25,
Drummond
made
both
free
throws.
“The
goal is
to play
the game
the same
way and
don’t
get too
excited,
and make
sure to
put
ourselves
in the
right
position,”
said
Drummond.
“Everybody
knows
the
struggles
I went
through
early on
in my
career
with my
free
throw
shooting.
How much
work I
put into
it, and
how
people
made fun
of me
for it.
Now I’m
at point
where I
can stay
in the
entire
game.”
Pistons
also
received
a boost
from the
bench,
Zaza
Pachulia
set a
season
high for
scoring
with 11
points.
Ish
Smith
scored 8
points
with 8
assists.
Langston
Galloway
had 11
points.
“We
played
well,”
said
Coach
Dwane
Casey.
“I
thought
we
defended
well,
came out
slow in
the
third
quarter,
but we
made up
for it.
Again
the
Raptors
are a
great
team.
Our
margin
for
error is
small,
we have
to play
almost
perfect
basketball
against
everybody.
Tomorrow
night is
going to
be the
same
thing.
We have
to play
the same
style of
basketball,
the same
focus
and same
intensity
no
matter
who we
play.”
The
Pistons
look to
get
another
victory
Monday
night
against
the
Cleveland
Cavaliers
on a
back-to-back.
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