The Detroit Pistons already knew how a lot they want Cade Cunningham within the lineup. His absence on Saturday served to bolster that.
With Cunningham sidelined by a hip harm, they misplaced at Orlando 111-100.
Detroit is unlikely to have its franchise participant once more when it hosts Toronto on Monday night time. Cunningham was listed as uncertain by the group on Sunday.
Cunningham suffered the hip harm on Thursday when he took a tough fall late within the fourth quarter of an extra time loss to Charlotte.
“Clearly these accidents are powerful while 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 ground chief, who’s averaging 23.5 factors and eight.9 assists a sport. They dedicated 17 turnovers towards the Magic — which Orlando transformed into 29 factors — and racked up solely 16 assists.
“It is laborious to beat that, and quite a lot of them had 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 troublesome 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 care for 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 come back 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 do this, and that damage us — turnovers and lack of ball motion. We did not make many photographs as effectively.”
The Raptors, in the meantime, will play the second sport 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 had 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 capturing by the Cavs.
“To be sincere with you, I want we might play this group 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 will 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 throughout the journey. Brown has been rehabbing a knee harm that hampered him final season.
“I used to be on one leg,” he mentioned. “You may watch, first half I used to be just about effective, as soon as the second half began and it bought actually stiff.”
Detroit recorded a 99-95 victory over Toronto on Nov. 15 behind Malik Beasley’s 20 factors. That sport was a part of the NBA Cup.
–Discipline Stage Media
