Cavs grind past East-leading Pistons 113-109 in Cleveland
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The Cleveland Cavaliers leaned on defense and balanced scoring Tuesday night to edge the Detroit Pistons, 113-109, at Rocket Arena. The victory lifted Cleveland to 39-24 while snapping Detroit’s three-game winning streak and trimming the Pistons’ Eastern Conference lead.
Key moments
• Cleveland rotated multiple defenders onto Cade Cunningham, holding the Detroit star to 4-for-16 shooting.
• The Cavaliers lost center Jarrett Allen to a knee-to-knee collision with 8:40 left in the third quarter, but reserves filled the gap as Cleveland closed the period on a 17-9 run.
• James Harden’s driving layup with 27 seconds remaining sealed the win after Detroit had cut the deficit to two.
By the numbers
Jaylon Tyson: 22 points, 8-for-15 FG
Evan Mobley: 18 points on 6-for-9 shooting
James Harden: 18 points, 7 assists, 5-for-17 FG (playing with a splinted thumb)
Craig Porter Jr.: 7 points, game-high 8 rebounds (5 offensive)
Dennis Schröder: 15 points
Thomas Bryant / Sam Merrill: 9 points each
Turnovers: Cleveland 10 (7 in 4th qtr), Detroit 13
They said it
“We were struggling and missing shots, and Craig just flies in for offensive boards. It’s a real boost,” head coach Kenny Atkinson noted. He later called the overall effort “a good win,” while admitting the late turnovers need cleaning up.
On Allen’s status, Atkinson offered only that the center “got a knee-to-knee” and would be re-evaluated Wednesday.
What’s next
The Cavaliers have four days off before hosting the Boston Celtics on Sunday at 1 p.m. Detroit (45-15) returns home Friday to face Milwaukee.
Source: Hoops Wire
