Detroit Pistons (55-21) beat Toronto Raptors (42-33) 127-116 at home on Tuesday, March 31, never trailing at a quarter break.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Pistons had the better start, winning the first 26-20 to lead by 6 after one. The Raptors cut into the deficit with a 34-33 second quarter, though the Pistons still led by 5 at halftime.
The Pistons won the third 41-27 to create some separation, taking a 19-point lead into the fourth. The Raptors took the fourth 35-27; the Pistons held on for a 127-116 regulation win.
What decided it
The Pistons got more from their shots, finishing at 69.2% effective field-goal shooting compared with 53.9% for the Raptors. The Pistons made 35.6 free throws per 100 field-goal attempts, compared with 22.5 for the Raptors. That shooting gap supplied the clearest edge.
The Raptors did win one battle, ball security: TOV% of 12.8 against 18.5. The Pistons made up for it elsewhere.
At roughly 99 possessions per team, the Pistons produced 127.7 points per 100 possessions to 116.7 for the Raptors.
The Raptors' reserves also made a difference, outscoring the opposing bench 56-39.
Who made the difference
Jalen Duren was the game's biggest individual force for DET: 31 pts, 9 reb, 3 ast on 12-13 shooting. His Game Score of 28 led everyone. His team was +7 with him on the floor.
RJ Barrett led the Raptors with 24 pts, 6 reb, 2 ast on 7-12 shooting, good for a 19.4 Game Score.
Collin Murray-Boyles (14 pts, 10 reb, 0 ast) recorded a double-double.
What it means
The result fit the pre-game Win Meter, which gave the Pistons about a 78% chance.
Across the last 6 meetings in our records, Detroit Pistons lead 5-1.
The Pistons are now 55-21, and the Raptors are 42-33. The Pistons last five before this game: W-L-W-W-L.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.