Cunningham lifts depleted Pistons

LOS ANGELES (AFP) — Cade Cunningham finished with 28 points as the Detroit Pistons shrugged off the suspensions of Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart to cruise past the Toronto Raptors 113-95 on Wednesday.

Duren and Stewart were both handed multi-game suspensions for their part in a mass brawl during Monday’s stormy victory over the Charlotte Hornets.

But the absence of the two centers had little effect on Detroit as they coasted to a wire-to-wire victory in Toronto.

Detroit’s balanced offense set up the win, with Paul Reed stepping into the void created by Duren and Stewart’s absence with 22 points while Duncan Robinson added 13 and Tobias Harris 12.

Pistons coach JB Bickerstaff singled out Reed for praise, saluting the 26-year-old’s readiness to slot into the starting line-up seamlessly.

“Basketball is what he eats, sleeps, bleeds,” Bickerstaff said.