CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Cavaliers were able to enact revenge for their loss to the Detroit Pistons on Friday. It once again wasn’t the prettiest game, but having James Harden down the stretch ensured that the Cavs weren’t going to cough this one up as they cruised to a 113-109 victory.
Not a lot went right for the Cavs on Tuesday. Jarrett Allen left the game early with a knee injury, James Harden had an off-night as he went 4-16 from the field, and they were without Donovan Mitchell (groin). Still,
they were able to do enough to beat the conference-leading Pistons. That’s encouraging, even if how it happened wasn’t exactly pretty.
The Cavaliers started strong, pushing their lead to 10 midway through the second quarter. The Pistons started the third quarter well, making it a two-point game midway through the third before Allen left the game with a knee injury.
The Cavs’ bench lineups with Thomas Bryant at center responded well and got their lead back up to double digits, but the starters had a difficult time keeping the momentum going without the services of Allen.
The Pistons cut the deficit to as little as two in the fourth quarter, but they weren’t able to get any closer than that thanks to some timely baskets from Sam Merrill, Dennis Schroder, and Harden late.
Support us and Let ‘Em Know with Homage!
Anything bought from the links helps support Fear the Sword. You can buy the Let ‘Em Know shirt HERE. You can also shop all of Homage’s Cavs gear HERE.
Evan Mobley once again had a strong game against Detroit. He was the best defensive player on the court and saved the offense on more than a few occasions. Mobley finished the game with 18 points on 5-9 shooting with five rebounds, four assists, and two steals.
Jaylon Tyson led the Cavs with 22 points, with most of his damage coming from deep. He went 5-12 from three while providing four assists and two blocks.
Harden struggled to find his shot, but he did enough to help get the Cavs across the finish line late. He provided 18 points and seven helpers in the win.
Dennis Schroder added 15 points on 6-10 shooting with five assists off the bench.
The Pistons were led by 24 points and 14 rebounds from Jalen Duran. MVP candidate Cade Cunningham was held to 10 points on 4-16 shooting with 14 assists.
With the win, the Cavs are now 8-1 in games Harden plays. This includes two wins over teams ahead of them in the standings, the New York Knicks and now the Pistons.
Cleveland will have four days off before hosting the Boston Celtics for a matinee game on Sunday. Tip-off is at 1 PM.
