The Cleveland Cavaliers at home cruise past the Detroit Pistons 112-90. The Cavaliers improve to 37-26, and the Pistons fall to 29-35 on the season. LeBron James led all scorers with 31 points on 11 of 17 from the field, grabbed seven rebounds, dished out seven assists, and made five three-pointers in 29 minutes played. Larry Nance Jr. posted a double-double with 22 points on 9 of 15 from the field, plucked 15 rebounds, and gathered two steals. Rodney Hood scored 13 points on just 4 of 12 from the floor.
Kyle Korver added 11 points on 4 of 7 from the field, picked up six rebounds, and hit three from downtown off the bench. Rookie Cedi Osman contributed 12 points on 5 of 11 from the floor, and collected six rebounds off the pine. Ante Zizic managed six points on a perfect 3 of 3 from the field, and picked up six rebounds in 16 minutes off the bench. Jordan Clarkson totaled 11 points on 5 of 10 from the floor, and snatched six rebounds off the pine. The Cavaliers shot 48.9 percent from the field, and shot 36.4 percent on 12 of 33 from three-point range.
The Cavaliers out-scored the Pistons 58 to 41 in the second half. The Cavaliers out-scored the Pistons in the paint 40 to 26. The Cavaliers played much better on defense, and allowed the Pistons to score a total of only 90 points. The Cavaliers out-rebounded the Pistons 53 to 40. Meanwhile, Kevin Love was out with a hand injury, Jeff Green did not play with a back injury, and Tristan Thompson also did not play with an ankle injury. The Cavaliers will head to Denver to play against the Denver Nuggets tonight.
Larry Nance Jr. said, “Whatever it was, I just wasn’t that comfortable shooting them in L.A., but whether it’s the coaching staff or the guys, they have the utmost confidence in me shooting that shot and I feel great shooting it, too.”
For the Pistons, Blake Griffin led the way with 25 points on 10 of 22 from the field, including eight rebounds, five assists, and sunk three triples. Andre Drummond finished with 15 points on a perfect 5 of 5 from the floor, to go along with nine rebounds, and two steals. Reggie Bullock put in 11 points on 4 of 10 from the field, and knocked down three from beyond the arc. Ish Smith logged six points on 3 of 7 from the floor, and gave out six assists. Anthony Tolliver generated eight points on 3 of 5 from the field, and snagged five rebounds off the bench.
Stanley Johnson poured in nine points on merely 3 of 9 from the floor, and stripped away two steals off the pine. The Pistons shot just 39.1 percent from the field, and shot 35.3 percent on 12 of 34 behind the three-point line. The Pistons have now lost six of their last seven games. It may be hard for them to make the playoffs now. Reggie Jackson is still out for the Pistons with an ankle injury.
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