Jackson's 28 helps Pistons embarrass reeling Raptors

The litany of embarrassments continue for the Toronto Raptors.

The Detroit Pistons, without two starters in Brandon Jennings and Greg Monroe, defeated the Raptors 108-104 on Tuesday.

Though the Pistons played well and executed a strong gameplan, the big takeaway from the game was the Raptors' continued struggles and rather unsightly blunders.

Take their defense, for example. Detroit had their way with Toronto's shoddy 25th-ranked defense.

The Raptors conceded 37 points in the first quarter, the culprit being a total inability to stop dribble penetration. The Pistons were able to gain access to the lane with ease, which set off the Raptors' scramble defense, one that necessitates an endless string of perfect rotations. With the Raptors' defenders slow to closeout, Detroit connected on seven 3-pointers in the first half.

The Raptors' woes were compounded when Kyle Lowry left the game after re-aggravating a back injury. Lowry returned after a two-game absence and logged 10 minutes before exiting.

Lowry's exit left Greivis Vasquez to guard the point of attack. The slow-footed Vasquez provided zero resistance against drives as he was continuously beaten off-the-bounce by Pistons guard Reggie Jackson.

Still, the Raptors were able to mount a comeback and even had a chance to win late. Toronto had the ball while trailing by two points with 18 seconds remaining.

However, despite having a timeout at his disposal, Raptors head coach Dwane Casey decided not to draw up a play. Instead, Lou Williams dribbled aimlessly for 15 seconds, before launching an ill-fated 3-pointer:

Jackson led the Pistons in scoring with 28 points. He also racked up five rebounds and nine assists. Shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope added 26 points, six rebounds and four assists. DeMar DeRozan led the way for Toronto with 22 points. 

Amir Johnson was perfect from the floor, 5-of-5, scoring 13 points, adding eight rebounds, two assists, and a block.