Photo by Andrew Lahodynskyj/Getty Images The Pistons control their destiny in the Emirates NBA Cup The Detroit Pistons are the NBA league pass team of the year so far—every game is a nail-biter, and their second win in the Emirates NBA Cup was no different. They crossed the border and escaped from the Toronto Raptors Barney hardwood floor 99-95 victors. It was not a two-point nail-biter like the Heat game in Cup play, but it had its typical Pistons ebbs and flows. On to the Toronto Raptors and their purple floors, the Pistons eventually established their will in the first quarter. Jakob Poeltl was a handful all night and set the tone early for the Raptors. He came out the gate making four of five shots and snagging three offensive boards. Jalen Duren had a few bright moments offensively in the first, but overall, Poteltl’s domination offset the Duren highlights. Jaden Ivey, Tobias Harris, Wendell Moore Jr., Ron Holland, and Iasiah Stweart went on a 10-0 run to close the 1st when Detroit established its will. This group’s mix of speed and hustle overwhelmed the Raptor’s backups. Moore stayed active, never stationary, and could convert on cutting layups. Ron Holland showed heart like we should have expected; those missed free throws wouldn’t ruin this kid. Quite the contrary, actually. He responded well, playing with a chip on his shoulder tonight. The chaotic sequences will be tossed in with Holland. He’s 19; that’s what comes with that, but his motor and fearlessness are something you can’t teach. He was the first to hit the glass, leading to eight boards this game. Holland visibly bothered RJ Barrett in the first quarter and got a swipe-down ball off Barrett Raptors’ turnover. That’ll work. Defense travels. His defensive playmaking that leads to his terrific transition game travels. In the half court, Holland has to either knock down these open looks or cut into open space and create. The Pistons are playing four on five in some situations when Holland’s man hangs out in the restricted area. That comes with time and growth. The rook played a solid game tonight. The Pistons are building an identity as a defensive ball club. They came into this game allowing 112.6 points per 100 possessions (12th). The Pistons shut the Raptors’ water off in the second quarter, holding them to 25 points. Stewart had his intimidation factor in full effect tonight. He slowed down Poeltl a bit in the second period (though Poeltl got hot later and finished with 25/19). Stew dared the Raptors to challenge him at the basket. Most turned down the opportunity, but the ones who challenged him found out. Tobias Harris deserves a shout for his play in the first half; his eight boards and timely middies were needed. But that was just a first-half thing. They need more of that consistently from him, but maybe that’s not something he has in him anymore. With Harris being a nonfactor in the third period, Moore stepped in and played intense on-ball defense. He, too, had Barrett strangled a few possessions. The third period saw the Piston’s offense struggle the most. Their defense and energy had lapsed as they allowed Ochai Agbaji to miss under the backboard and still get his rebound and score. The Pistons allowed eight offensive rebounds this period. They didn’t fold and crumble, though they responded like a good team would. Ivey had some buckets to halt the Raptor’s momentum, and Beasley hit a 3 to trim the lead. Beasley is a big-time movement shotmaker; I want to see less of the dribble pull-ups. I understand he’s operating as a secondary ball handler out of necessity in some lineups, but I want to see more firing that off the dribble shots. He picked up the slack tonight because Cade Cunningham didn’t have it going. Cunningham is a special passer, routinely hooking up with Duren for off-hand passes at any angle. He sprinkled that into this game and drove and kicked like a big playmaker he is. I liked the attacking of Davion Mitchell in the post. Mitchell is nicknamed “Off Night” because of his defense prowess, but that’s a mismatch trying to guard Cunningham. Mouse in the house, feed him. They didn’t do enough of that, and Cade shot 6/21. The Pistons won, so you take what you can get, but this isn’t all bad. He contributed in other ways and held his own in the closing moments to get stops. In the closing moments, Marcus Sasser marked his stamp. Sasser, who hasn’t been a staple in the rotation, made momentum-shifting shots. Get your toe off the line, but he made off for those shots. Sasser’s transition swoop to the hoop to extend the lead to 97-89, essentially putting the game away. He pickpocketed Raptors players and played a grimy game. Moore had a block late in the game, leaving me out of my seat. He was borderline perfect tonight, making extra passes, sticking his man, and being at the right place. He and Sasser are two players who don’t know if they will play every night but stay ready. They stepped up in the absence of Simone Fontecchio and Tim Hardaway Jr. The Pistons dominated the Raptors in the fourth, giving them a taste of their own medicine. Detroit held Toronto to 17 points in the fourth—a throwback number. This was a good win that pushed Detroit to 6-8. They control their own destiny in the Emirates NBA Cup, getting off to this 2-0 start. The Milwaukee Bucks are 1-0 and play the Pistons in the last game of pool play on December 3rd. The Bucks haven’t looked sharp overall this year, and Detroit won tonight with their best players playing eh. Cunningham won’t shoot like this every game, and Ivey won’t be slipping on cutesy floors all season. The veterans are helping the backcourt tremendously, but they are steering the ship, which bolds well for the future. Good win Pistons, on to Washington.