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Even Hollywood couldn’t have scripted a better ending to Dwane Casey’s return to Toronto.
With the Raptors and Casey’s new squad, the Detroit Pistons, knotted at 104 in the fourth quarter and the final seconds ticking away, Detroit’s Reggie Bullock made a basket in the paint to give the Pistons a miraculous victory.
And the former Raptors head coach was a little fired up about it.
After his many years of building the Raptors to what they are today, winning the NBA Coach of the Year last season and then being let go by the organization, that little bit of revenge has to feel good.
During his time north of the border, the 61-year-old turned an average team into a consistent contender in the Eastern Conference. In his last five seasons with the Raps, the fewest number of games that the team won in a single campaign was 48. Management brought in the right players and Casey was able to get some solid results with them.
Unfortunately, that regular season success never truly translated to the playoffs. While his 320-238 regular season record in Toronto is impressive, a combined mark of 21-30 in the postseason just wasn’t good enough. That’s why he’s currently with Detroit and that set up Wednesday night’s fireworks.
Down 11 points entering the final quarter, the Pistons slowly chipped away at the Raptors’ advantage. With the score even, a costly turnover as the result of a poor dribble by Kawhi Leonard gave the Pistons their shot at victory.
Bullock happily grabbed hold of that opportunity.
That’s a clutch play by a team that clearly wanted to come through for their new coach.
The 106-104 victory improves Detroit’s record to 7-6. The Raptors, meanwhile, have now lost two straight to fall to 12-3 but remain atop the Eastern Conference standings.
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