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DeRozan leads Raptors over Pistons

Feb 23, 2012 - 3:46 AM Toronto, ON (Sports Network) - DeMar DeRozan netted 23 points on 9-of-15 shooting to go with seven rebounds as the Toronto Raptors topped the Detroit Pistons, 103-93, at Air Canada Centre.

Leandro Barbosa finished with 17 points, James Johnson netted 15 and Aaron Gray contributed 12 points and 12 rebounds for the Raptors, who snapped a four-game skid. Amir Johnson donated 11 points in the win and Jose Calderon chipped in with 15 assists and six points.

"We definitely needed that," DeRozan said. "Hopefully we can carry this on to the second half. Detroit's playing well, so it was a good win."

Greg Monroe led the Pistons with 30 points and 14 rebounds, while Brandon Knight scored 16 points and Tayshaun Prince added 14 and seven rebounds for Detroit, which enters the All-Star break with two consecutive losses.

The game remained close early, with five ties through the first six-plus minutes of action, but Toronto began to pull away in the latter half of the frame.

With the game tied at 13, the Raptors used a 13-7 push to build up a 26-20 advantage with 1:51 left in the opening frame, and they led 28-24 after one quarter.

Toronto netted the first six points of the second quarter to extend their lead to 10 before a jumper by Ben Gordon cut the lead to seven with 7:29 to go in the half.

DeRozan drained a jumper with 1:56 to play to give the Raptors their largest lead of the half, 53-39, but Detroit scored the final six points of the second to cut the deficit to eight, 53-45, heading into the third.

Detroit opened the third quarter with a 7-2 burst to make it a three-point game, but the Raptors responded with a 17-6 flurry to take a 72-58 advantage with 2:54 left in the quarter, and they led 74-60 heading into the fourth.

The Raptors kept coming in the final quarter, using a 14-6 run to build their lead to 89-66 -- their largest advantage of the night -- with around eight minutes to play.

The Pistons fought hard down the stretch and used a 16-2 burst to cut the deficit to nine with 4:47 left, but they would get no closer.

"In a lockout-shortened season when you get a lot of games in a short period of time, these things are going to happen." Pistons head coach Lawrence Frank said of his team's effort. "When guys just aren't going, we have to get the next man up."

Game Notes

Wednesday marked the first meeting of the season between the teams. Detroit took three-of-four from the Raptors last season...DeRozan has scored at least 20 points in six of his last nine games...Raptors forward Linas Kleiza did not play due to a sore left knee...Pistons forward Jonas Jarebko fouled out with 4:11 to play...It was Gray's first double-double of the season...Jason Maxiell finished with 12 points for the Pistons.