Pistons stay hot as Cade drops 28 in Toronto

Cade Cunningham powered the Detroit Pistons to a 113-95 road win over the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday, scoring 18 of his 28 points in the second quarter as Detroit rolled despite missing two suspended big men.

Detroit’s wire-to-wire victory came with Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart sidelined due to suspensions stemming from a fight in Monday’s win over the Charlotte Hornets, yet the Pistons never trailed while winning their third straight game and improving to eight wins in their last 10.

Cunningham shot 6-for-11 from 3-point range and finished with seven rebounds, nine assists and three steals as Detroit’s backcourt set the tone early and kept Toronto from mounting a sustained run.

Paul Reed filled the void in the frontcourt with 22 points, four blocked shots and a dominant opening burst, while Tobias Harris posted 12 points and 12 rebounds and Duncan Robinson added 13 points.

Reed scored 16 points in the first quarter to help Detroit seize a 29-19 lead and establish a physical edge even without its usual centers.

Toronto closed within six early in the second quarter, but Detroit’s defense tightened and pushed the margin to 13 when Robinson drilled a 3-pointer with 8:35 remaining.

The Pistons then missed seven straight field-goal attempts, allowing the Raptors to cut the deficit to six with 4:45 left, before Detroit responded with an 11-0 run capped by Robinson’s corner 3-pointer to go up 17 with 2:00 remaining.

Detroit carried a 67-52 halftime lead after Cunningham’s big second quarter tilted the game decisively.

Cunningham opened the third quarter by scoring the first five points to stretch the margin to 20 as Detroit continued to dictate tempo and spacing.

The Raptors trimmed the gap to 14 with 7:38 left in the third, but Detroit’s defense again produced a key sequence when Reed’s steal led to Harris’ running layup that restored an 18-point lead with 4:31 remaining.

Caris LeVert hit back-to-back 3-pointers late in the third to give Detroit a 23-point cushion with 2:05 left, and the Pistons led 94-74 entering the fourth quarter.

Detroit’s lead swelled to 23 at one point in the third and remained 20 going into the fourth, and although Toronto tried to chip away, it was still down 17 with 5:46 to play when Brandon Ingram hit a 3-pointer.

Immanuel Quickley led Toronto with 18 points, Scottie Barnes scored 17, RJ Barrett had 16, Ingram added 13 and Gradey Dick contributed 10 as the Raptors wrapped up a 3-2 homestand.

Jakob Poeltl returned for Toronto for the first time since Dec. 21 after a strained back and finished with nine points and six rebounds.

Detroit coach JB Bickerstaff praised Reed’s readiness to step into a bigger role, pointing to the mindset that kept the Pistons steady through the absences.

“Basketball is what he eats, sleeps, bleeds,” Bickerstaff said. “Every time he gets an opportunity it’s quick twitch and ready to go. I’ve never seen a guy who prepares himself every day like he’s gonna start and play 48 minutes.”

The suspensions that kept Detroit’s centers out were handed down after Monday’s altercation versus Charlotte, with Stewart receiving a seven-game suspension and Duren a two-game ban.

Toronto was also short-handed, with Collin Murray-Boyles sitting out due to a thumb injury.

The victory pushed Detroit to 40-13 entering the NBA All-Star break, leaving the Pistons atop the Eastern Conference according to the game report.

Boston remained second in the East after a 124-105 win over the Chicago Bulls, improving to 35-19 and sitting 5.5 games behind Detroit as Payton Pritchard scored 26 points off the bench and Jaylen Brown added 24.

New York stayed close behind in third after a 138-89 blowout of the Philadelphia 76ers, leading by as many as 52 in the fourth quarter as Jose Alvarado scored 26 off the bench while hitting 8-of-13 from 3-point range, with Mikal Bridges adding 22 and Karl-Anthony Towns 21 while Tyrese Maxey scored 32 for Philadelphia.

Cleveland stretched its winning streak to five games with a 138-113 win over Washington as Donovan Mitchell scored 30, and the Cavaliers improved to 34-21 for fourth place in the standings.

In Minneapolis, Julius Randle scored 41 points in Minnesota’s 133-109 win over Portland, while Oklahoma City stayed atop the West with a 136-109 win over Phoenix as Jalen Williams scored 28 and the Thunder played without the injured Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

San Antonio remained Oklahoma City’s closest challenger in the West after winning its sixth straight, beating Golden State 126-113 in San Francisco as De’Aaron Fox scored 27 and Victor Wembanyama added 26 after the Warriors led by 16 midway through the third quarter. (Field Level Media/Reuters)