The last time these two teams played, the Raptors/Maple Leafs faithful showed up and tried to hijack the Palace of Auburn Hills. Brandon Jennings, for one, didn’t forget.
Toronto came out scoring down low with ease. It was the wrong big man on their young center – Greg Monroe switched with Andre Drummond at halftime. Stan Van admitted that was his bad. Until then, Detroit was outscored by 12 points, all in the first quarter. We matched them offensively in the second but couldn’t slow them down.
Our defense finally clicked, and Jonas Valančiūnas went to the bench in foul trouble. This got Toronto’s point guard to try and battle Jennings, one he was not prepared for. Jennings poured in 15 points in the third quarter, and it also got the Raptors away from the post game that had been so effective for them.
Jodie Meeks and Jonas Jerebko helped Jennings finish them off. Meeks made a huge three on a scramble right at the end of the game, part of 11 points in the 4th. Jerebko made some big jumpers down the stretch as well. On the game’s final possession, Jennings picked off their point guard to end the game, 114-111. He emphatically slammed the ball off the court, our ninth win in ten games.
……. Jennings is starting his own bad boy movement….hows it feel to get punked in your own house?……the ball slammin’, game ending walk off in the faces of the Raptor bench screams don’t bring your bullshit back to the Palace unless you want more.