The Detroit Pistons took the floor on Saturday night with an opportunity to make NBA history or give their home fans a win that would prevent infamy. In an Eastern Conference battle against the Toronto Raptors, the Pistons came through with their first win in two months.
Detroit caught a break hours before the game tipped off. Toronto traded O.G. Anunoby, Malachi Flynn and Precious Achiuwa to the New York Knicks for Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett. Because Quickley and Barrett won’t report to the team until Monday, the Raptors played without one of their best players and significant depth.
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It showed in the first half. While Detroit held just a 25-24 lead after the first quarter, it took advantage of a short-handed Raptors’ roster in the second quarter. The Pistons outscored Toronto 27-20, providing Detroit with a 52-44 lead going into halftime.
Fittingly, the Raptors answered back. Just a few nights after the Boston Celtics responded to a 19-point lead by outscoring Detroit 35-16 in the third quarter and then winning 128-122 in overtime, Toronto showed that same fight. It set up for a fantastic fourth-quarter finish with NBA history on the line as Detroit took a 90-86 lead into the fourth quarter.
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It was a back-and-forth battle, with Toronto cutting Detroit’s lead down to two with under 8 minutes to play. However, Detroit responded with consecutive two-point buckets by Cade Cunningham and Bojan Bogdanovic to create a 103-97 lead.
That was all she wrote for Toronto. Three-pointers by Cunningham and Jaden Ivey pushed Detroit’s lead to 110-99 with 5:52 to go. While the Raptors had a late rally, making it a 114-107 game with under 2 minutes remaining, the Pistons finally sealed the deal and walked off the court victorious with their home crowd celebrating only the team’s second home win of the year.
Heading into NBA games today, Wngstop was watching Detroit closely. The company had a sponsorship deal with the Pistons, offering ticket holders five free boneless wings every time the Pistons won a game. After the 28-game losing streak, Wingstop stuck by its promise with the expectations fans would flock there once the losing streak ended. Here we are.
Let’s dive into the social media reactions from the Detroit Pistons’ first win since October 28.
Social media reacts to Detroit Pistons
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