THE Detroit Pistons have won two of their last three games, with a giant halftime stench between the victories.
The Pistons have three games left in their six-game home stand and, aside from a very poor second half against the Dallas Mavericks, outscored 35-23 in the third quarter, the Pistons have been pretty darn good down this stretch.
The most recent outing saw the Pistons earn their biggest win of the season, beating the Charlotte Hornets, 114-97, with three players scoring 17 or more points while holding the Hornets under 100 points.
LAST MATCH:Cade Cunningham shows off his franchise player skills in Detroit Pistons’ 114-97 win over Hornets
The schedule hasn’t been particularly busy, especially during this last stretch with games against the Hornets (16-49) and the Nets (26-39), but it’s undeniable that the Pistons have been playing better basketball since they got their foothold after the trade deadline.
One of the big trade additions at the deadline was Simone Fontecchio, who has averaged 15.2 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists since joining the Pistons and has managed at least two 3-pointers in 11 of 13 games. The increased spacing has seemingly given the Pistons a little more room for error when operating in the half court.
As for their opponents on Wednesday, the Pistons will face another selling team at the trade deadline. The Raptors first traded OG Anunoby, Malachi Flynn (who eventually joined the Pistons), and Precious Achiuwa to the New York Knicks in exchange for RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, and a second-round pick. Later, the Raptors traded Pascal Siakam to the Indiana Pacers for Bruce Brown and a bunch of picks and players.
The results so far haven’t been great, with Toronto going 5-9 since the trade deadline and losing four games in a row heading into the game against the Pistons.
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Detroit Pistons vs. Toronto Raptors Start Time Today
Match: Pistons (11-53) against Raptors (23-42).
Date: Wednesday March 13.
Time: 7 p.m. ET.
Or: Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.
Betting line: To be determined. (how to bet and get registration bonuses).
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TV Channel Detroit Pistons vs Toronto Raptors Today
TV: Bally Sports Detroit.
Radio: WXYT-FM 97.1 (Pistons radio affiliates).
Streaming: Fubo (free try).
If you I don’t have Bally Sports Detroityou can register for Fubo with a free trial to watch the Pistons all season.
Detroit Pistons vs. Toronto Raptors Injury Report
Pistons forward Ausar Thompson (illness) did not play against the Charlotte Hornets and is listed as day-to-day, while guard Quentin Grimes returned against Charlotte and played more than 21 minutes after missing four straight games and should be ready to face the Raptors. .
The Raptors have a prolonged injury report. Chris Boucher (knee), DJ Carton (ankle), Jakob Poeltl (hand), RJ Barrett (personal) and Scottie Barnes (hand) are all listed as out for the game against the Pistons. Meanwhile, Emmanuel Quickley (hip) and Gary Trent Jr. (groin) are both listed as questionable.
SHOWING SIGNS OF IMPROVEMENT:James Wiseman’s hard work and patience is starting to pay off with the Detroit Pistons
Detroit Pistons vs. Projected Starting Lineup vs. Toronto Raptors
Pistons: PG Cade Cunningham, G Jaden Ivey, F Ausar Thompson, PF Isaiah Stewart, C Jalen Duren.
*Queues are subject to change.
Detroit Pistons vs. Toronto Raptors uniform and jersey
The Pistons will wear their black Declaration editing uniforms with “DET” lettering on the chest and blue and red stripes underneath.
The Raptors will wear their white Association Edition uniforms, which are their traditional white ensemble with red on the chest and “Raptors” in white lettering.
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