I am not sure what more we can say about the Raptors and Pistons at this point. This is like the fourth time these two teams have met up including the pre-season. Two of those three meetings have resulted in close wins for the Pistons. The only one that counts was one that was on my birthday which is November 23 rd for the rest of the world.
The Raptors on that night Toronto lost 91-90 and it featured perhaps the best performance of the season for Andrea Bargnani who scored 34 points and Kyle Lowry also played and had 19 points. They have been the focus of why the Raptors are now winning with out them. It has been suggested their selfish play might be at the root of the problems. Scoring 43 of the Raptors 90 points in this match-up might just illustrate that. The next highest totally Raptors were Ed Davis with 9 and Jonas Valanciunas with 9 as well.
On Pistons side of things they got 19 from Greg Monroe and 16 a piece from Brandon Knight and Tayshaun Prince. Andre Drummond had 13 points and 13 rebounds which got a lot of Raptors fans saying see we should have taken that guy. He is averaging just 6.5 points 6.4 rebounds heading into tonight’s contest at the ACC. Terrence Ross since that time has really become a fan favourite especially of late.
Toronto in their history is just 10-21 vs. Pistons at the ACC. That tenth victory game last season in Detroit’s only appearance at the ACC which was a 10 point Raptors win. Despite both franchises going through some serious rebuilding over the last two seasons it is Detroit that holds a 5-2 mark. This after the 2009-10 season in which the Raptors swept the Piston 4-0 for the only time in the history of this franchise.
The winning streak has been great and the Raptors are playing good ball. Pistons have lost 5 in a row and are almost as terrible on the road as the Raptors with a 2-12 mark. So why am I worried this streak could end tonight? The overall historical record of 19-46 does not exactly instil confidence.
That said this is a winnable game for this franchise at this point and the Raptors given the hole they have dug for themselves can not let any of those chances slip away if they are every going to hear the word playoffs in the same sentence as them this season and not have people laugh.
It is on Sportsnet so no Jack Christmas singing…BA HUMBUG TO THAT!!!
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