TORONTO — Fred VanVleet had a game-high 35 points and eight assists as the Toronto Raptors survived a late comeback effort from Detroit to take a 119-118 victory over the Pistons on Sunday.
It was VanVleet’s ninth 30-point game of the season, setting a career mark. His previous high was eight from 2021-22.
Pascal Siakam added 28 points, including 11 in the fourth quarter, for Toronto (27-31). Scottie Barnes had 20.
Jakob Poeltl had six points and five rebounds in 25 minutes of action in his first start since being traded to the Raptors on Thursday. He fouled out of the game with 2:32 remaining.
Bojan Bogdanovic scored a team-high 33 points for Detroit (15-43). Alec Burks and Hamidou Diallo added 21 and 18 points, respectively, off the bench.
After a late-game collapse caused the Raptors to have their three-game winning streak snapped on Friday against Utah, Toronto managed to weather the storm Sunday after almost surrendering a 14-point fourth-quarter lead.
Siakam scored six of the Raptors’ first eight points in the final frame to give Toronto a 92-78 edge 1:56 in.
But Detroit made a run as two Burks free throws with 33.1 seconds made it a 116-110 game.
A Barnes turnover led to Jaden Ivey hitting a three-pointer to trim the Pistons’ deficit to three with 10.1 remaining. After two VanVleet free throws made it 118-113 with seven seconds on the clock, Bogdanovic cut it to three again with two free throws of his own.
But Precious Achiuwa went 1-for-2 from the charity stripe afterwards to give the Raptors a four-point lead, good to keep Toronto ahead for the win despite another Ivey three with 0.1left.
VanVleet had the hot hand early, scoring 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting in the opening quarter, including two early three-pointers that fuelled the Raptors’ 8-2 run to take an 18-9 lead 4:10 in.
However, a late surge from the Pistons, led by Burks’ 11 first-quarter points, helped Detroit close the frame only down 31-29.
In the second, Barnes kick-started a short-lived 5-0 Raptors run, hitting a three-pointer followed by a steal that led to a Siakam fast break dunk to go up 39-34 three minutes in.
But the Pistons kept it close, and Bogdanovic’s three-pointer with 3:54 left tied it at 44. Shortly after, Stewart made a contested layup to give Detroit its first lead of the game. Siakam drew a foul on Bogdanovic with 2.0 seconds left and gave Toronto a 53-52 halftime lead.
After an early exchange of baskets and the lead, VanVleet hit a three-pointer and assisted on two other baskets in a 10-0 Raptors run that gave Toronto a 67-58 edge with 7:47 left in the third.
Following an 8-2 run from the Pistons to make it a four-point game, Chris Boucher euro-stepped around Bogdanovic and made a two-hand fast break dunk with the foul. He made the free throw and another VanVleet three-pointer restored the Raptors’ 10-point lead. Toronto closed the frame up 84-77.
MISSING
Raptors head coach Nick Nurse was out Sunday due to personal reasons. Lead assistant Adrian Griffin stood in Nurse’s place.
Toronto guard Gary Trent Jr. was also ruled out with a left calf strain shortly before tip-off. Forward O.G. Anunoby missed his eighth straight game with a left wrist sprain.
UP NEXT
The Raptors host the Orlando Magic in the fourth of a five-game homestand Tuesday. The Magic lead the season series 2-1 against Toronto, winning back-to-back outings on Dec. 9 and Dec. 11 in Orlando the last time the two met.
The Pistons play the second of a three-game road trip against the Boston Celtics on Wednesday.
