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The Detroit Pistons will visit the Toronto Raptors on Friday night at Scotiabank Arena. Cade Cunningham is questionable on the team's injury report due to a left calf contusion.
Here's everything we know about Cunningham's injury and playing status vs. the Raptors.
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Cade Cunningham injury status vs. Raptors
Cunningham has missed the Pistons' previous five games due to his calf injury. Detroit listed him as doubtful for Wednesday's 119-103 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder before ruling him out. An upgrade to questionable indicates he is close to returning and will have a chance to suit up vs. the Raptors.
Cunningham has had an All-NBA-caliber season while leading the breakout Pistons. The former No. 1 pick has averaged 25.7 points, 6.1 rebounds and 9.2 assists on 46/35/86 shooting splits. He and Nikola Jokic are the NBA's only players averaging over 25 points, six assists and nine dimes per game this season.
Detroit has lost its last two games after winning its first three during Cunningham's absence. The Pistons have posted a 9-8 record over their last 17 games following an eight-game win streak in February. They rank 14th in offense, ninth in defense and seventh in net rating (5.5) during that span.
JB Bickerstaff's squad is in a race with the Milwaukee Bucks for the Eastern Conference's fifth seed. Both teams hold the same record, but the Bucks sit in fifth place due to a tiebreaker with six games remaining.
Tobias Harris will miss Friday's game due to right heel soreness. Isaiah Stewart will also be sidelined while serving the second game of a suspension following Sunday's fight with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Ron Holland and Marcus Sasser will return after serving their one-game suspensions during Wednesday's Thunder loss.
Meanwhile, the Raptors are tanking and essentially locked into sixth place in the draft lottery standings. Toronto sits three games behind the Brooklyn Nets in sixth and 4.5 ahead of the San Antonio Spurs in eighth with five games left on its schedule.
So, regarding whether Cade Cunningham is playing tonight vs. the Raptors, the Pistons have cautiously approached their top player's injury with the playoffs approaching. However, he's nearing a return from his extended absence amid the team's battle for the East's fifth seed.
Pistons injury report
Cade Cunningham: Doubtful – Injury/Illness – Left Calf; Contusion
Tobias Harris: Out – Injury/Illness – Right Heel; Soreness
Jaden Ivey: Out – Injury/Illness – Left Fibula; Fracture
Isaiah Stewart: Out – League Suspension
Raptors injury report
(Not yet submitted)
