How Detroit blew away the Raptors despite suspensions

The Detroit Pistons entered Wednesday’s contest against the Toronto Raptors as one of the most talked about teams in the NBA. Theirs the infamous brawl against the Charlotte Hornets sent the league into a frenzy. The NBA responded with multi-game suspensions that were assessed against the Pistons’ centers Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart for their role in the quarrels.

Theirs suspensions had little effect on Wednesday night’s outcome. Detroit entered the game short-handed and still came out on top with a 113-95 road win over Toronto. The Pistons closed out the night by picking up their 40th win of the regular season and remaining #1 in the Eastern Conference.

Backup big man Paul Reed filled in for Duren and Stewart’s absence. Reed paced the Raptors throughout the game, scoring 22 points, grabbing five rebounds, blocking four shots and making a steal. Pistons head coach JB Bickerstaff was overjoyed with Reid’s production when discussing him during the postgame media session.

“He’s B-Ball. That’s what he does. Basketball is what he eats, sleeps, bleeds, and every time he gets a chance he’s quick and ready to go. A guy who prepares every day like he’s going to start and play 48 minutes,” Bickerstaff said.

Reed is not a regular player for the Pistons every night. It usually comes when the depth of the forecourt is limited or when power is needed to lift. Reed had a huge impact on the Hornets when he was brought in after the ejection, and that carried over to the Raptors.

The Raptors couldn’t contain Paul Reed

Toronto fought out of the gate to keep the Pistons’ backup center. Reed scored his first 16 points in the first quarter alone to set the tone for Detroit. Reed talked about his ability to step in when these circumstances arise.

“You have a team full of guys that are hungry, that are ready to go out and compete at the highest level. The suspensions are unfortunate, but they trust me and Tolu (Smith) to come in and help us get in sync. That’s what the team is about, that the front office is bringing us in,” Reid explained.

“Right now, my minutes aren’t always consistent, but I know my teammates and coaches expect me to come in and be ready, so that’s what I’m going to do and I take pride in that and my preparation. Knowing if there’s something left, I can step up and get huge minutes.”

The Pistons will be without Duren for one more game as he is suspended for two. Stewart will miss the next six games to complete his seven game ban. Detroit has been rotating lineups all season, creating opportunities for players like Reed. He will likely play a key role during that stretch when the Pistons return from the NBA All-Star break.

Paige All-Star Cade Cunningham came close to his fifth triple-double of the season. He finished the night with 28 points, nine assists and seven rebounds. The scoring came in efficient fashion as he hit 9 of 14 field goals and 6 of 11 3-point attempts. Cunningham had another productive night on defense adding three steals to his stat line.