TORONTO – The Toronto Raptors are heading into the all-star break on a disappointing note.
Toronto was unable to keep up in a 113-95 defeat against the top team in the Eastern Conference, the Detroit Pistons, on Wednesday night at Scotiabank Arena, marking both teams’ last game before the midseason event.
The Raptors sit fifth in the East with a record of 32-23 after this loss, while the Pistons improved to 40-13.
Despite missing their all-star Jalen Duren and fellow big man Isaiah Stewart due to suspensions, the Pistons dominated inside against the Raptors. Starting center Paul Reed had a strong performance with 22 points and five rebounds.
Cade Cunningham, who will also be going to the all-star game, led Detroit with an impressive 28 points along with nine assists and seven rebounds.
The Raptors’ all-stars didn’t have quite as much impact. Scottie Barnes filled up the stat sheet with 17 points, seven rebounds, five assists, four blocks and three steals in just 30 minutes despite facing early foul trouble.
Brandon Ingram was added to the all-star game as an injury replacement on Tuesday and scored 13 points but didn’t contribute any assists or rebounds.
Point guard Immanuel Quickley topped the Raptors’ scoring with 18 points thanks to four three-pointers.
This year’s all-star weekend is set for Los Angeles at the Clippers’ Intuit Dome, with events starting Friday and culminating in Sunday’s game.
Takeaways
Raptors: Jakob Poeltl made his return after missing 24 games due to a persistent back issue; he started and logged 20 minutes. The Austrian big man faced some challenges during his comeback, scoring nine points (4-for-7) and grabbing just one rebound in ten first-half minutes before finishing with six total. He’ll get more time off during the all-star break as Toronto hopes he comes back refreshed for their playoff push in the second half of the season.
Pistons: Detroit hardly missed Stewart and Duren – who will be out for seven and two games respectively because of their involvement in Monday’s altercation with Charlotte Hornets – thanks to Reed’s performance; he scored 16 of his points in just the first quarter. The veteran has only reached double digits six times across his last 37 games while averaging just 5.9 points per game.
Key moment
The Raptors cut into Detroit’s lead early in the second quarter but Cunningham quickly responded by hitting three consecutive triples as part of a solo 9-2 run that restored Detroit’s double-digit lead. Toronto never got close enough again to challenge within one possession.
Key stat
The Raptors have now lost every one of their seven matchups against teams ranked among the top three seeds in conference standings, which also includes losses against Boston Celtics and New York Knicks. They’ll face Detroit two more times come March.
Up next
Raptors: Barnes, Ingram and Darko Rajakovic’s coaching staff are headed off to participate in this year’s all-star game alongside rising stars contestants Collin Murray-Boyles, Alijah Martin and A. J. Lawson. Their next matchup is scheduled for Feb. 19 against Chicago Bulls.
Pistons: Cunningham along with Duren and J. B. Bickerstaff’s coaching staff will represent Detroit at this year’s all-star festivities. They’ll be back on Feb.19 taking on New York Knicks.
This report by The Canadian Press was first Feb.11 ,2026. p >
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This report by The Canadian Press was first Feb.11 ,2026. p >
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