The San Antonio Spurs edged the Toronto Raptors 110-107 on Wednesday, pushing their NBA winning streak to 10 games and closing in on Western Conference leaders Oklahoma City Thunder, who fell to the Detroit Pistons. Devin Vassell scored 21 points and De’Aaron Fox added 20 for the Spurs, who overcame a lackluster night from superstar Victor Wembanyama to push their win streak to double digits for the first time since the 2015-16 season. The French big man connected on just three of 12 shots on the way to 12 points in the face of a determined Raptors defense.
The clash lost some luster with Oklahoma City’s reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander headlining a raft of Thunder absentees as he missed a ninth straight game with an abdominal strain. Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren scored 29 points apiece to lead the Pistons in a battle of conference leaders touted as a possible NBA Finals preview.
The depleted Thunder led 34-22 after a tight first quarter, but the Pistons out-scored them 36-18 in the second period to seize control and never trailed in the second half. Jarrett Allen scored 27 points and pulled down 11 rebounds for Cleveland, but his last-gasp effort that would have forced overtime was ruled to have left his hand after the buzzer.
Harden, who arrived in a trade from the LA Clippers this month, was listed as “questionable” up until game time, but joined Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley on the sidelines.
