The Detroit Pistons already knew how a lot they want Cade Cunningham within the lineup. His absence on Saturday served to strengthen that.
With Cunningham sidelined by a hip damage, they misplaced at Orlando 111-100.
Detroit is unlikely to have its franchise participant once more when it hosts Toronto on Monday evening. Cunningham was listed as uncertain by the workforce on Sunday.
Cunningham suffered the hip damage on Thursday when he took a tough fall late within the fourth quarter of an additional time loss to Charlotte.
“Clearly these accidents are powerful once you take a blow to the tailbone-ish space,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff mentioned. “That is the core of the place your motion begins.”
The Pistons’ offense predictably suffered with out their flooring chief, who’s averaging 23.5 factors and eight.9 assists a recreation. They dedicated 17 turnovers towards the Magic — which Orlando transformed into 29 factors — and racked up solely 16 assists.
“It is exhausting to beat that, and lots of them have been preventable after which too lots of them got here in bunches,” Bickerstaff mentioned. “Between the turnovers and offensive rebounds we gave up, it is tough to beat. That is the place we preserve speaking about profitable the possession battle.”
The Pistons, who’ve misplaced three straight video games, allowed 17 offensive rebounds. They did not have a 20-point scorer to choose up the slack for Cunningham.
“Allow them to get too many simple baskets, allow them to get on the glass and issues of that nature, get second likelihood factors,” ahead Tobias Harris mentioned. “Did not handle the basketball effectively too, offensively. Just a bit bit too lax with our execution as effectively. After we do play and Cade’s not on the market, it is an opportunity for us to return out and actually simply exploit different groups, just like the Magic, a few of their defensive schemes.
“We did not get sufficient ball motion in that second half to try this, and that harm us — turnovers and lack of ball motion. We did not make many photographs as effectively.”
The Raptors, in the meantime, will play the second recreation of a back-to-back set on Monday. Toronto misplaced to league chief Cleveland on Sunday, 122-108.
A poor first quarter doomed the Raptors. They have been down 38-22 after the primary 12 minutes.
Toronto had defeated Indiana and Minnesota — groups that reached the convention finals final season — in its earlier two video games.
RJ Barrett scored a mixed 70 factors in these victories however was held to 16 factors on 6-of-18 taking pictures by the Cavs.
“To be trustworthy with you, I want we might play this workforce each week as a result of we might study lots,” Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic mentioned.
The loss dropped the Raptors to 0-9 on the highway. They’re going to want a win on Monday to keep away from matching the worst highway begin in franchise historical past, set in 1997-98. They’re within the midst of a four-game highway swing.
Bruce Brown is predicted to make his season debut through the journey. Brown has been rehabbing a knee damage that hampered him final season.
“I used to be on one leg,” he mentioned. “You possibly can watch, first half I used to be just about high quality, as soon as the second half began and it obtained actually stiff.”
Detroit recorded a 99-95 victory over Toronto on Nov. 15 behind Malik Beasley’s 20 factors. That recreation was a part of the NBA Cup.
–Discipline Stage Media
