Siakam delivers signature performance as Raptors beat league-worst Pistons

The Detroit Pistons had no answer for Pascal Siakam on Friday, as he guided the Toronto Raptors to a 118-97 win.

The All-Star forward put up 32 points, to go along with nine assists and five rebounds. Siakam came out balling with 26 points in the first half alone on 10-14 shooting, as it quickly became apparent that the Pistons, who have the worst record in the league in the NBA, couldn’t contain him.

Throughout the matchup, he showed off a flurry of looks in the midrange, stepped into three-balls, and also threw down a pair of thunderous dunks.

Paskam said postgame that he felt like had an “advantage” in his matchups against the Pistons, so he wanted to stay “aggressive.” That included using his patented spin move, which he says is “in the blood.”

For head coach Nick Nurse, he says that “he really liked his assertiveness,” noting that Siakam didn’t need a lot of dribbles, but instead took advantage of moving without the ball, and making decisive moves when he got it.

Siakam's performance helped them get back in the winning column following a pair of losses, and now only half a game behind the Atlanta Hawks, as Toronto sits in the ninth seed in the Eastern Conference.

You could tell it was an energized effort from the Raptors. They held a commanding lead ever since halfway through the second quarter, when they first went up by 20. They wouldn’t look back, going up by much as 26 in the fourth.

The Raptors did start the second half a bit slower, but a pair of timely threes from Fred VanVleet helped keep the Pistons at bay, as the point guard finished with 18 points and four assists. O.G. Anunoby would be the only other starter in double-digits with 18 points on 7-11 shooting, including 3-4 from distance.

Following the win, Nurse applauded the bench’s effort for providing a boost, as the Raptors didn’t fall into the trap of giving up another big lead.

For the second game in a row, the bench unit was led by Chris Boucher. The 6-foot-9 forward provided a spark off the bench, noting that they were “not proud about the game before,” following a tough loss to the Indiana Pacers.

The Montreal native finished with 19 points, a game-high 13 rebounds, two blocks and some highlight slams, as he said the Raptors’ "Vision 6-foot-9" especially helps them against teams like the Pistons, since Detroit plays with two, more traditional big men. It allows him to use his energy and speed to his advantage.

“He’s best, we’re best when he's just flying around. It's a little wild sometimes. It's fun to watch, right?” said Nurse, noting his ability to consistently pull off “energy plays” through attacking the rim and blocking shots.

“That's big because I think that’s contagious and translates to other players.”

Aside from Thaddeus Young, each available Raptor got some playing time tonight. And aside from Christian Koloko, every player posted a positive plus/minus differential.

Despite the stat for Koloko, Nurse and Boucher both highlighted his defensive intensity over long stretches, which resulted in a game-high four blocks for the rookie, despite the five personal fouls.

“He’s getting there, he’s really special,” said Boucher on the rookie centre.

Another younger player that got extended minutes tonight was Jeff Dowtin Jr., who in 28 minutes dropped nine points and four assists, while posting the best plus/minus off the bench.

The second-year player continues to be on a two-way contract, and after having suited up for 45 games, the Raptors can only play him for another five games before they have to sign him to a full-time deal to be able to use him going forward, such as for a playoff run.

Nurse had high praise for Dowtin, saying, “I can't really remember a time he's not played pretty well for us,” as he especially highlighted his defence.

On the other side of the court, the Pistons were filled with younger and less experienced players. For them, it was rookie Jaden Ivey who led the way with 20 points on 7-13 shooting, after playing 41 minutes. Four other Pistons players aged 24 and under also posted double-digit scoring efforts.

And when the lead had already ballooned to double digits, the Pistons were still putting up an effort, especially in transition:

The win ultimately pushes the Raptors’ record to 36-38, which is good enough for the ninth seed in the Eastern Conference. They’re now half a game back of the Atlanta Hawks, as the Raptors try to position themselves for the best play-in seeding possible with only eight games remaining in the 2022-23 campaign.

If the Raptors secure the seventh or eighth seed, they’d just need to win one game in the play-in to enter the playoffs and start a seven-game series. As the ninth or 10th seed, they’d need to win two games — but if they were to lose their first game in that scenario, they’d be knocked out in do-or-die fashion.

Moving forward, Toronto will look to continue to stay in the winning column and improve their ranking come Sunday when they welcome the Washington Wizards as part of a four-game homestand.