What to Watch For In Pistons Preseason Finale vs. Raptors

The Detroit Pistons have another exciting preseason clash ahead after their convincing 128-106 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night in Minneapolis.

In what will be their final preseason game before opening the 2026-27 season on Tuesday, Oct. 20, against the Boston Celtics, the Pistons will host the Toronto Raptors at Little Caesars Arena on Friday night.

With a 2-1 preseason record, including wins over the Phoenix Suns and Minnesota Timberwolves, the Pistons look to close out the slate with a win. Here’s a preview of Friday night’s preseason clash with the Raptors.

Pistons vs. Raptors Preview

Detroit Pistons Toronto Raptors New York Knicks preseason contest Scottie Barnes RJ Barrett Kawhi Leonard New York Knicks — Oct 15, 2026; New York, New York, USA; Toronto Raptors small forward Scottie Barnes (4) reacts during the first half against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Raptors face the Pistons on a quick turnaround after losing to the New York Knicks 122-120 on Thursday night in a down-to-the-wire contest at Madison Square Garden. With such a quick turnaround, the Pistons could have the advantage to close out the preseason with a win.

In the loss to the Knicks, Scottie Barnes (23 points) and RJ Barrett (21 points) led the Raptors. The two will be players to watch against the Pistons, and Kawhi Leonard, depending on how much playing time he gets, looks to score more than the six points on 2-of-5 shooting that he recorded in the loss to the Knicks.

If he plays, Pistons center Jalen Duren looks to build off an All-Star-type performance in Wednesday night’s win over the Timberwolves, where he finished with 24 points, three rebounds, and one assist on 8-of-9 shooting.

Detroit Pistons Minnesota Timberwolves Jalen Duren RJ Barrett Scottie Barnes Kawhi Leonard All-Star performance preseason — Oct 14, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren (0) goes to the basket against Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert (27) in the first quarter at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It was the first time Duren took the court this preseason since signing his massive five-year, $200 million contract with Detroit on Oct. 1. Wednesday night’s performance for Duren is what the Pistons faithful hope is a sign of things to come for Detroit as the star center looks to play a critical role in Detroit achieving its greater goals.

Friday night’s preseason finale against the Raptors also gives the Pistons a chance to see how their role players look as Tuesday’s season opener against the Boston Celtics at LCA fast approaches. Ebuka Okorie, a rookie guard from Stanford and the Pistons No. 17 overall pick, is among them.

Detroit Pistons Phoenix Suns Minnesota Timberwolves Toronto Raptors Ebuka Okorie Isaiah Joe Oklahoma City Thunder — Oct 5, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Ebuka Okorie (23) tries to keep the ball away from Phoenix Suns guard Kennedy Chandler (2) in the fourth quarter at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The rookie guard, who could potentially develop into a critical piece in the Pistons' backcourt rotation, aims to put together another promising showing on Friday night against the Raptors. In addition to scoring the game-winning bucket in the Pistons 109-107 preseason opener win over the Phoenix Suns, Okorie has combined for 27 points across three preseason games and has been efficient from the floor.

Former Oklahoma City Thunder guard Isaiah Joe is another player the Pistons want to finish the preseason strong. In the win over the Timberwolves, Joe scored 14 points off the bench. Joe was brought to Detroit from Oklahoma City to improve the Pistons' three-point shooting percentage.

In the preseason finale against the Raptors, Joe will look to have a better outing from beyond the arc than he did in the Pistons' win over the Timberwolves, where he finished 1-of-5 from three-point range.

The tip-off for Friday night’s preseason finale between the Pistons and Raptors is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET at LCA.

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