TORONTO – Tim Hardaway Jr. had 23 points because the Detroit Pistons fended off the Toronto Raptors 117-105 on Friday to clinch a playoff berth.
Jalen Duren had a double-double with 21 points and 18 rebounds as Detroit (43-34) held on to win after leading by as many as 22 points. Malik Beasley added 21 points.
Rookie guard Ja’Kobe Walter led Toronto (28-50) with 22 points.
Jakob Poeltl had a double-double for the Raptors with 10 points and 11 boards. Immanuel Quickley flirted with a triple-double with 14 points, eight rebounds and eight assists.
Scottie Barnes was out for the Raptors with a finger contusion on his right hand. RJ Barrett of Mississauga, Ont., had the night off to rest.
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Before the sport Toronto head coach Darko Rajakovic said that Brandon Ingram (sprained left ankle) and Gradey Dick (right knee bone bruise) were done for the season.
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Takeaways
Pistons: Hardaway went off for 11 points within the third quarter, making all 4 of his field-goal attempts. He was 3 for 3 from three-point range as Detroit led by as many as 22 points within the quarter.
Raptors: Already eliminated from the post-season picture, Rajakovic relied more heavily on his bench players, even benching his starting lineup for a spell with seven minutes left in the sport and the lead nearby. In consequence, Toronto’s bench outscored Detroit’s 44-21. The Raptors reserves did cut the Pistons’ lead right down to six points within the fourth, nonetheless.
Key moment
Detroit held a 10-point lead on the intermission but blew the sport open with an 11-0 run in the primary three minutes of the third quarter. Duren’s emphatic dunk added an exclamation to the run for a 76-55 Pistons lead.
Key stat
Rookie guard Jamal Shead — who got here off Toronto’s bench Friday — had nine assists to achieve 290 on the season and surpass Jose Calderon (288) for second-most helpers by a Raptors rookie. Damon Stoudamire’s 653 assists within the 1995-96 season are essentially the most by a rookie in team history.
Up next
Toronto: The Raptors will visit the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday for his or her fourth-last game of the season.
Detroit: The Pistons will return home to host the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 4, 2025.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
