TORONTO – Jonas Valanciunas scored a career-high 31 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in a losing cause on Monday night, as the Toronto Raptors dropped a 114-111 decision to the Detroit Pistons.
Brandon Jennings topped the Pistons (14-24) with 34 points.
Seven players scored in double figures for Toronto (25-12), with Greivis Vasquez notching 16, Lou Williams adding 15, Amir Johnson and Terrence Ross finishing with 12 apiece, James Johnson scoring 11, and Kyle Lowry adding 10 to go with 12 assists.
The Raptors had defeated the Pistons 110-100 in Detroit on Dec. 19, but the Michigan team’s record was third worst in the league at the time. Three days after that victory, the Pistons waived Josh Smith, and have been one of the NBA’s hottest teams since, winners of eight of nine games.
Toronto coach Dwane Casey likened them to last season’s Raptors team after the Rudy Gay trade, saying “They’re clicking on all cylinders.”
The Raptors, who snapped a four-game losing skid with their 109-96 victory over Boston on Saturday, led for a good chunk of the first three quarters, and were up by as much as 14 points in the first half.
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