RAPTORS NOTES
• The Toronto Raptors (20-18) begin a five-game road trip (Jan. 14-21) Friday night against the Detroit Pistons (9-31) at Little Caesars Arena. The Pistons beat the Raptors 127-121 in their first meeting this season Nov. 13 in Toronto. The Raptors will play eight of their next 10 games on the road (Jan. 14-31). Toronto had its season-high six-game win streak end Tuesday with 99-95 loss to Phoenix. OG Anunoby scored 25 points, Pascal Siakam had 22 and Fred VanVleet added 21 against the Suns.
• Fred VanVleet has made at least four three-pointers in a franchise record nine consecutive games (Dec. 14 – Jan 11) – the longest streak in the NBA this season. VanVleet is averaging 29.6 points and shooting .451 (51-113) from beyond the arc over his last nine games. Only Stephen Curry and James Harden
have longer streaks in NBA history.
• Pascal Siakam is averaging 20.7 points and career highs of 8.3 rebounds and 4.6 assists. Siakam is one of just six players in the NBA averaging 20.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists this season, along with Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Doncic, Joel Embiid, James Harden and Nikola Jokic.
• Toronto grabbed a season-high 22 offensive rebounds Tuesday vs. Phoenix. Chris Boucher had a career high-tying nine offensive boards, while rookie Justin Champagnie collected five. The Raptors (13.4) are currently tied with Memphis for the NBA lead in offensive rebounds per game and rank second (16.8) in second-chance points per game – behind only the Grizzlies (17.7). Through six games in January, the Raptors have outrebounded opponents 93-to-57 (+36) on the offensive glass.
• Chris Boucher recorded his third double-double of the season with 13 points and a team-high 16 rebounds in 37 minutes off the bench Tuesday against the Suns. He also blocked a season-high three shots. Boucher has now collected 15+ rebounds five times in his career, including three times off the bench –
second most in franchise history behind Reggie Evans who had 15+ rebounds four times as a reserve.
• Fred VanVleet was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week (Jan. 3-9) for the first time in his career after leading the Raptors to a perfect 4-0 record, averaging 30.3 points (sixth in the NBA), 6.5 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 36.5 minutes. He shot .467 (42-90) from the field, .453 (24-53) from three-point range and was 13-for-13 at the free throw line. VanVleet scored 30+ points three times and recorded his first career triple-double with a season-best 37 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists Jan. 7 vs. Utah. His 37 points was the most scored in a triple-double in franchise history.
• Fred VanVleet (138) and Gary Trent Jr. (117) currently rank second and fourth, respectively, in the NBA in total deflections. VanVleet has led the NBA in deflections per game each of the past two seasons, while Trent Jr. is also tied for fourth in the league in steals per game (1.91) and has recorded multiple steals in
20 games. The Raptors lead the NBA in deflections per game (18.7) and rank third in steals (9.3).
PROBABLE STARTERS
F – YUTA WATANABE #18
MIN: 20.1 REB: 4.1 AST: 1.0 STL: 0.5 TO: 0.8 BLK: 0.4 PTS: 7.1
• Recorded one rebound and one steal in 15 minutes Jan. 11 vs. Phoenix.
• Averaging 12.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 27.9 minutes in three games as a starter this season.
• Has scored in double figures five times, including 20+ points once, and recorded one double-double.
F – PASCAL SIAKAM #43
MIN: 35.7 REB: 8.3 AST: 4.6 STL: 1.0 TO: 2.5 BLK: 0.8 PTS: 20.7
• Recorded 22 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and three steals in 39 minutes Jan. 11 vs. Phoenix.
• Passed Jose Calderon (5,234) for eighth on the Raptors’ all-time scoring list (5,255) against the Suns.
• Has recorded 5+ assists in a career-high eight straight games (Dec. 28 – Jan. 11); averaging 6.5 assists.
C – KHEM BIRCH #24
MIN: 21.8 REB: 5.4 AST: 1.3 STL: 0.9 TO: 0.7 BLK: 0.5 PTS: 6.0
• Contributed six points, six rebounds and two assists in 26 minutes Jan. 11 vs. Phoenix.
• Has missed 14 games (Nov. 7-11, Nov. 24 – Dec. 18) this season with right knee swelling.
• Averaging 8.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 22.6 minutes in six games as a starter.
G – OG ANUNOBY #3
MIN: 36.0 REB: 5.1 AST: 2.3 STL: 1.6 TO: 1.6 BLK: 0.4 PTS: 19.3
• Scored a game-high 25 points in 39 minutes of action Jan. 11 vs. Phoenix; added two rebounds.
• Has scored in double figures in seven straight games, averaging 19.3 points during this stretch.
• Has scored 20+ points in 12-of-23 games this season, something he did 13 times in 43 contests last year.
G – FRED VANVLEET #23
MIN: 37.7 REB: 4.9 AST: 6.6 STL: 1.7 TO: 2.7 BLK: 0.6 PTS: 22.0
• Finished with 21 points, five rebounds, five assists and two steals in 44 minutes Jan. 11 vs. Phoenix.
• Reached 1,500 career assists against the Suns, becoming just the seventh Raptor to reach this milestone.
• Leads the NBA in minutes per game (37.7), has logged 40+ minutes eight times.
INJURY REPORT
Goran Dragic (NWT) – Out
Scottie Barnes (Right Knee; Soreness) – Questionable
Gary Trent Jr. (Left Ankle; Swelling) – Questionable
2021-22 RECORDS
W-L EAST WEST
OVERALL 20-18 12-11 8-7
HOME 12-11 6-7 6-4
AWAY 8-7 6-4 2-3
OVERTIME 0-1 0-1 0-0
Opponent: Detroit Pistons
Date: Friday, January 14
Tip-Off: 7 p.m. (ET)
Venue: Little Caesars Arena
Television: TSN
Radio: TSN 1050 Toronto
SERIES RECAP VS. DETROIT
OVERALL HOME ROAD
2021-22 0-1 0-1 0-0
ALL-TIME 38-58 19-27 19-31
STREAKS Lost 4 Lost 2 Lost 2
LAST WIN: Jan. 31, 2020 (105-92)
LAST ROAD WIN: Jan. 31, 2020 (105-92)
LARGEST MARGIN OF VICTORY: +30 (Dec 23, 2009)
LARGEST MARGIN OF DEFEAT: -44 (Jan. 4, 1997)
LAST TIME VS. DETROIT
GAME 14 – NOVEMBER 13, 2021
DETROIT 127, TORONTO 121
TORONTO — Jerami Grant scored 24 points, including two key 3-pointers in the fourth quarter, and Detroit beat Toronto 127-121, handing
the Raptors their fourth loss in five games … Isaiah Stewart added 20 for
the Pistons, who’ve beaten Toronto in their last four meetings … Pascal
Siakam had 25 points and 12 rebounds in his third game back since missing the beginning of the season recovering from shoulder surgery … Gary
Trent Jr. had 23 points while OG Anunoby had 17 … Goran Dragic added
16, Dalano Banton finished with 12 and Scottie Barnes had 11 … Neither
team led by double digits through the first three quarters of the back-and-forth affair … Toronto took a 95-93 lead into the fourth … But the Raptors
fizzled in the fourth quarter, as Detroit hit five consecutive three-pointers –
two by Grant – that put the Pistons up 117-106 … The Raptors scored five
straight points to pull to within six … Siakam converted a three-point play
with 2:04 to play to slice the difference to just three … But Cade Cunningham shimmied to the hoop to make it a five-point game heading into the
final minute … The Raptors missed four shots on their next possession,
which all but ensured the loss … The Raptors were missing starting guard
Fred VanVleet (groin strain) and Precious Achiuwa (sore shoulder).
1 2 3 4 TOT
DETROIT 31 34 28 34 127
TORONTO 34 30 31 26 12
UPDATED: Jan. 13, 2022
NEXT GAME DETAILS
Opponent: Milwaukee Bucks Date: Saturday, January 15
Tip-Off: 6:30 p.m. (ET)
Venue: Fiserv Forum
Television: TSN
Radio: Sportsnet 590 The FAN
SERIES RECAP VS. MILWAUKEE
OVERALL HOME ROAD
2021-22 2-0 1-0 1-0
ALL-TIME 43-54 21-27 22-27
STREAKS Won 4 Won 1 Won 4
LAST WIN: Jan. 5, 2022 (117-111)
LAST ROAD WIN: Jan. 5, 2022 (117-111)
LARGEST MARGIN OF VICTORY: +42 (Nov. 21, 2014)
LARGEST MARGIN OF DEFEAT: -27 (Nov. 6, 2007)
LAST TIME VS. MILWAUKEE
GAME 35 – JANUARY 5, 2022
TORONTO 117, MILWAUKEE 111
MILWAUKEE — Pascal Siakam scored 33 points, OG Anunoby and Gary
Trent Jr. had 22 apiece and the Toronto Raptors beat the short-handed
Milwaukee Bucks 117-111 … Fred VanVleet added 19 points for the Raptors … They improved to 18-17 and overcame Milwaukee’s hot-shooting
first half and late rally … The defending NBA champion Bucks were without coach Mike Budenholzer after he entered the NBA’s health and safety
protocols … Milwaukee played without NBA Finals MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo because of an illness unrelated to COVID-19 … Grayson Allen, George Hill and Pat Connaughton also entered protocols Wednesday … Khris Middleton led the Bucks with 25 points … Jordan Nwora had
17 and Jrue Holiday and DeMarcus Cousins each had 15 … Milwaukee
connected on 61% of its shots to take a 77-68 at the half, tying the most
points it has scored in the first half this season … The 77 points marked
the most Toronto has surrendered in any half this season … The previous
high was 72 in both halves of a 144-99 loss at Cleveland on Dec. 26 …
Toronto erased a 14-point deficit and tied it at 85 midway through the
third … The Raptors built a 15-point lead in the fourth, but the Bucks
pulled within four points twice in the final minute.
1 2 3 4 TOT
TORONTO 35 33 24 25 117
MILWAUKEE 42 35 11 23 111
DEROIT PISTONS
PROBABLE STARTERS
PLAYER / 2021-22 REGULAR SEASON
AVERAGES NOTES
6 Hamidou Diallo
F • 6-5 • 202 • Kentucky/USA • 4th Season
GP/GS PPG RPG APG SPG BPG MPG
33/16 10.5 4.5 1.4 1.3 0.4 21.9
LAST GAME: Seven points, seven rebounds, one assist, two
steals in 18 minutes at CHI (1/11)…Scored 10+ pts in 14 of
last 17 games…Leads NBA in steals (31) since Dec. 18.
NOTES: Became 1st player in NBA history with at least 30
pts/10 rebs/4 asts/5 stls in back-to-back games and 11th
Piston with consecutive 30 pt/10 reb games (12/29-1/1)…10+
pts in 7-straight games (12/19-1/3).
41 Saddiq Bey
F • 6-8 • 215 • Villanova/USA • 2nd Season
GP/GS PPG RPG APG SPG BPG MPG
40/40 15.2 6.3 2.5 0.9 0.2 33.8
LAST GAME: 14 points, five rebounds, four assists, one
block in 37 minutes at CHI (1/11).
NOTES: 20+ pts in nine of last 14 games; career-long fivestraight (12/23-1/3)…Career-high 34 points (8 3FGM) at MIL
(1/3)…5th all-time in 3FGM (268) through 110 career games.
28 Isaiah Stewart
C • 6-9 • 250 • Washington/USA • 2nd Season
GP/GS PPG RPG APG SPG BPG MPG
32/32 7.8 8.3 1.1 0.4 1.3 25.6
LAST GAME: 11 points (4-8 FG), seven rebounds, two
assists, four blocks in 28 minutes at CHI (1/11)…4th-straight
game with multiple blocks and 4th game with 3+ blocks in
2021-22.
NOTES: NOTES: 10 games with 10+ rebs…11 games with
2+ blks this season…Leads team in rebounds and blocks.
2 Cade Cunningham
G • 6-6 • 217 • Oklahoma State/USA • Rookie
GP/GS PPG RPG APG SPG BPG MPG
31/31 15.4 5.7 5.4 1.3 0.6 32.4
LAST GAME: Eight points, seven rebounds, three assists,
one steal in 29 minutes at CHI (1/11)…Averaging 6.4 apg
over last nine games (12/18-1/11).
NOTES: Led team in passing 17 times; 8 of last 9 games he
has played (12/18-1/10)…Youngest Piston (20 yrs, 57 days)
ever with triple-double and 9th youngest in NBA history (vs.
LAL, 11/21)…5 double-doubles, 1 triple-double in 2020-21.
7 Killian Hayes
G • 6-5 • 216 • ratiopharm Ulm
(Germany)/France • 2nd Season
GP/GS PPG RPG APG SPG BPG MPG
30/30 6.3 3.0 3.7 1.2 0.4 26.0
LAST GAME: Eight points, three rebounds, team-high five
assists, four steals in 33 minutes at CHI (1/11).
NOTES: Tied for third on team in steals (37)…Has led team
in passing nine times in 2021-22…Joined Isiah Thomas as
only Pistons with at least three games of five+ steals over
first 36 career games at CLE (11/12).
2021-22 REGULAR SEASON PISTONS RECORDS
RECORD HOME ROAD OT
OVERALL 9-31 6-13 3-18 1-1
WESTERN 3-12 2-5 1-7 1-0
EASTERN 6-19 4-8 2-11 0-1
CENTRAL 2-7 1-2 1-5 —
STREAKS
OVERALL Lost 1
HOME Won 3
ROAD Lost 3
INJURY/STATUS REPORT
Jerami Grant (Right Thumb Sprain), Frank Jackson (Return to Competition Reconditioning), Isaiah Livers (Right Foot
Soreness), Kelly Olynyk (Left Knee Sprain) and Chris Smith (G League – Two-Way) are OUT
TEAM NOTES FROM 2021-22
SECOND HALF COMEBACK: The Pistons defeated Utah, 126-116, on Jan. 10 after trailing by 22 points in the second quarter. Detroit’s comeback against the
Jazz tied the team’s second largest comeback since 1996-97, but also set several other franchise records thanks to the Pistons second half heroics:
- Set a new franchise record for threes in a half with their 15 made triples in the final two quarters.
- Detroit’s 78 points scored in the second half marks the highest scoring total the Pistons have recorded in any half since 1996-97 (when play-by-play
data was first recorded) (via Basketball Reference). - Recorded the fourth win in the first 10 days of the new year, their most wins in the first 10 days of a new year since 2014-15 (five wins).
HITTING THE TRIFECTA: The Pistons had three players record 20-plus points and 10-plus rebounds vs. San Antonio on Jan. 1, marking the third time in the
last 50 years that the Pistons have had three or more players with 20-plus points and 10-plus rebounds in a game. Hamidou Diallo (34 points and 14
rebounds), Saddiq Bey (21 points and 17 rebounds) and Luka Garza (20 points and 14 rebounds) accomplished the feat. The trio also became the first
group of players in the NBA to score 20-plus points and grab 14-or-more rebounds in a game in over 40 years.
DYNAMIC DUO: Cade Cunningham (11 assists) and Killian Hayes (10 assists) both recorded double-digit assists Dec. 18 vs. Houston, making them the first
duo in NBA history with 10-plus assists in the same game at the age of 20 or younger (via Elias Sports Bureau).
THREE FROM THREE: Three current Pistons (Cade Cunningham, Jerami Grant, Saddiq Bey) rank within the top five in franchise history for three-point field
goals made per game. Below are the top five averages in Pistons history (via Basketball Reference):
PISTONS PLAYERS WITH MOST 3FGM PER GAME
PLAYER 3FGM/GM GAMES
Wayne Ellington 2.7 74
Saddiq Bey 2.4 110
Cade Cunningham 2.2 31
Blake Griffin 2.2 138
Jerami Grant 2.0 78
CAUSING TURNOVERS: The Pistons are third in the NBA in forced turnovers per-game (15.7), trailing only the Minnesota Timberwolves (17.0) and Toronto
Raptors (16.3) for tops in the league. The Pistons have forced more turnovers than they have turned the ball over in 18 of their 40 games so far this
season.
STEALS GALORE: The Pistons are eighth in the NBA in steals this season (8.3 spg). Below are the top eight teams in steals in the NBA through Jan. 14:
2021-22 STEALS RANKINGS
TEAM SPG
Memphis 10.2
Golden State 9.6
Toronto 9.3
Charlotte 9.0
Phoenix 8.8
Minnesota 8.7
L.A. Lakers 8.3
Detroit 8.3
FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH: As of Jan. 6, the Pistons have the fourth-youngest roster by average age in the NBA.
YOUNGEST NBA ROSTERS – AVERAGE AGE
TEAM AGE
Oklahoma City 24 years, 4 days
Memphis 24 years, 95 days
Toronto 24 years, 281 days
Detroit 24 years, 285 days
PISTONS IN 2021-22: The Pistons return 10 players from its final 2020-21 roster to go along with five rookie additions (Cade Cunningham, Luka Garza,
Isaiah Livers, Jamorko Pickett, Chris Smith) and two free agents (Kelly Olynyk and Trey Lyles). Detroit doesn’t have any players still on the roster
from the 2019-20 season.
CROSSING BORDERS: The Pistons roster three Canadian-born players (Cory Joseph, Trey Lyles, Kelly Olynyk), marking the most players from Canada on
any NBA roster as of Jan. 14
– 38 saves on 40 shots
The view from left field 