- DeMar DeRozan posterized Pistons forward Anthony Tolliver into oblivion on Wednesday night with a go-ahead dunk in the final seconds of regulation.
- While the Raptors would need overtime to win, DeRozan’s dunk was an exclamation point on a fantastic night in which he scored 42 points to lead Toronto to its sixth straight win.
- With the victory, the Raptors became the first team in the league to officially seal a spot in the playoffs, with 18 games remaining in the season.
DeMar DeRozan is having a career year, leading the Raptors to the top of the Eastern conference, and on Wednesday he put down arguably his most impressive performance of the season.
Already leading all scorers, DeRozan had the ball in the final seconds of a tie game. DeRozan hit a step back jumper with 17 seconds remaining to give the Raptors a 111-109 lead, but Blake Griffin would quickly match on the other end for the Pistons, and then give Detroit the lead with a made free throw to cap off the possession.
Down two with just 10 seconds left, DeRozan saw an opening, and rather than waiting for the clock to wind down for the last shot of the game, he dashed down the court and slammed the ball home, drawing a foul and absolutely posterizing Anthony Tolliver in the process. Blake Griffin, smartly, decided to back away from the play.
While it looked as though the dunk would be the game-winner, Griffin once again matched for the Pistons on the other end to force overtime, but the Raptors would prevail in the extra period, winning by a final score of 121-119.
DeRozan would finish the game with 42 points and a nominee for Dunk of the Year. With the win, the Raptors officially clinched a playoff berth with 18 games remaining in the season, becoming the first team to do so this year.
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