The Detroit Pistons approached Wednesday's contest against the Toronto Raptors as one of the most talked-about teams in the NBA. Their infamous brawl against the Charlotte Hornets put the league in a frenzy. The NBA responded with multi-game suspensions assessed to Pistons' centers Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart for their part in the altercations.
Their suspensions had little impact on Wednesday night's outcome. Detroit entered the game short-handed and still came out on top with a 113-95 road victory over Toronto. The Pistons closed the night picking up their 40th win of the regular season and remaining No. 1 in the Eastern Conference.
Backup big man Paul Reed filled in for Duren and Stewart's absence. Reed overwhelmed the Raptors all game, scoring 22 points, grabbing five rebounds, blocking four shots, and swiping three steals. Pistons' head coach J.B. Bickerstaff was overjoyed with excitement by the production of Reed 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 an opportunity it’s quick-twitch and ready to go. A guy who prepares himself every day like he’s going to start and play 48 minutes,” Bickerstaff stated.
Reed is not a regular rotation player for the Pistons every night. He normally comes in when the team's front-court depth is limited or when energy is needed for pick-up. Reed made a tremendous impact against the Hornets when thrown in after the ejections, and that carried over against the Raptors.
Raptors couldn't contain Paul Reed
Toronto struggled out the gate to contain the Pistons' backup center. Reed scored his first 16 points in the first quarter alone to set the tone for Detroit. Reed spoke on his ability to step in when circumstances like these arise.
“You have a team full of guys that’s hungry, that’s 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 dubs. That’s what it says about the team, about the front office bringing us in,” Reed explained.
“At this point, my minutes aren’t always consistent but I know teammates and coaches are expecting 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 anything goes left, I can step up and provide huge minutes.”
The Pistons will be without Duren for one more game as he was suspended for two. Stewart will miss the next six games to complete his seven game ban from competition. Detroit has dealt with rotating lineups all season creating opportunities for players like Reed to chip in. He is likely to play a key role during that stretch when the Pistons return from the NBA All-Star break.
All-Star point guard Cade Cunningham came close to his fifth triple-double of the season. He finished the night scoring 28 points, nine assists, and seven rebounds. The scoring came in efficient fashion as he hit 9-of-14 shots from the field and 6-of-11 3-point attempts. Cunningham had another productive night on defense adding three steals to his stat line.
