DETROIT — When the going gets tough, well, who knows where the Toronto Raptors are going. 

Few teams are harder to get a handle on, even 75 games into an 82-game season. 

The Raptors did so many things right on Tuesday night at Little Caesars Arena against the East-leading Detroit Pistons. But the big thing, winning? 

By the end of the third quarter, they had earned an advantage in turnovers and points off turnovers (26-19) and created a significant edge in offensive rebounds (12-6), And in a tough, hard-fought game, they got themselves to the free-throw line more than the Pistons (25-22). 

All are excellent indicators for success. 

The more of those categories a team leads, the harder it is to lose. It helps, too, that the Raptors were facing a Pistons team missing their best player, as Cade Cunningham looked great roaming the sidelines in a multi-hued sweater, but he’s still weeks away from playing as he recovers from a punctured lung. 

And the Pistons were playing on the second night of a slightly ridiculous back-to-back, having lost on Monday night in overtime in Oklahoma City, a game that didn’t tip off until 9:30 p.m. ET. They didn’t land in Detroit until sometime around four in the morning on Tuesday. 

Granted, they had four starters resting against Oklahoma City with various ailments – Ausar Thompson, Tobias Harris, Duncan Robinson and Jalen Duren – but the rest of their roster and coaching staff could only be bleary-eyed. 

But there is one statistical category that is pretty hard to work around, and the Raptors struggle with it regularly. 

For all their efforts and all their determination to pressure the ball, the Pistons found a way to neutralize the Raptors' pressure. They shot 10-of-17 on threes through the first three periods compared to the Raptors, who converted 5-of-22 looks, most of them open wide open. 

The Raptors ShowSportsnet's Blake Murphy and two-time NBA champion Matt Bonner cover all things Raptors and the NBA. Airing every weekday live on Sportsnet 590 The FAN from 11 a.m.-noon ET.Latest episode

Sportsnet's Blake Murphy and two-time NBA champion Matt Bonner cover all things Raptors and the NBA. Airing every weekday live on Sportsnet 590 The FAN from 11 a.m.-noon ET.

Stop me if you’ve heard this before. But in the final analysis of what ended up a being a comfortable 127-116 win for Detroit – a........

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