NBA Game Preview - Detroit at Toronto

Wed Oct 30, 2019 7:30 PM EDT

The Pistons will visit Toronto on Wednesday night to play the reigning NBA champion Raptors, Detroit coach Dwane Casey's former team.

Casey, who is in his second season as Pistons coach, was the coach of the Raptors for seven seasons but was replaced by Nick Nurse after the 2017-18 season.

The Raptors went on to win their first NBA championship under Nurse, and Casey was gracious.

"It was exciting. It was good to see," Casey said after the Raptors clinched the title last June. "To see a guy like Kyle Lowry, kid like Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet and those guys -- Serge Ibaka, guys I coached -- win. It was really thrilling, because I know that was a goal going in with that group, and to see them win it was great."

As for this season, both the Raptors and Pistons are coming off home victories on Monday.

The Pistons defeated the Indiana Pacers 96-94 after taking the lead on Derrick Rose's layup with 28.3 seconds remaining.

The Raptors defeated the Orlando Magic 104-95 despite blowing a 14-point fourth-quarter lead to fall behind by two points with 4:23 remaining. Toronto used a 14-4 spree over the final 3:45 to regain command. Kyle Lowry, who had 26 points, scored 10 fourth-quarter points that included a 3-pointer and five free throws during Toronto's late run.

"They took the lead there and our guys did a great job," Nurse said. "... We had just handed back an eight or nine-point deficit and fell behind. We just kind of said that the ball wasn't bouncing our way and other things weren't going our way for a stretch and we just had to keep playing."

OG Anunoby continued to impress for Toronto with 12 points, eight rebounds, two blocked shots and five steals.

"He had five steals, two blocks; that's a line right there," Nurse said. "Again he was doing everything right, communicating the switches, helping on the weak side, made a couple of great rotations."

The Pistons have been playing without Blake Griffin (hamstring and knee), Reggie Jackson (lower back tightness) and rookie Sekou Doumbouya (concussion protocol).

Blake and Doumbouya have yet to play this season, and Jackson has missed the past two games.

"Until we get everybody back, all lineups are going to be fluid," Casey said. "A lot of it is according to matchups. We're not trying to be sneaky, but it'll be a mixed bag until we get our group back whole again."

Blake's absence has created an opportunity for Christian Wood, who was claimed off waivers during the offseason and is playing for his fourth NBA team.

He scored 19 points and grabbed 12 rebounds on Monday.

"It's all about opportunity," Wood said. "I'm going to keep saying it, once opportunity presents itself, I'm going to do the best I can to take advantage of that."

"His length and athleticism make a difference," Casey said. "He's different from what else we have when it comes to guys who can put it on the floor and make a play out of no play. He's being consistent."

Casey is reluctant to play Wood against bruisers like Pacers forward Domantas Sabonis, leaving that to Andre Drummond and Markieff Morris.

"He shot the ball with confidence," Casey said. "I don't know if he's ready for the banging that Markieff can give against Sabonis down the stretch, but I think he did a good job of keeping us afloat."

--Field Level Media