Pistons stun Cavs to ease out of slump
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[December 27, 2016]
AUBURN HILLS, Michigan (The
Sports Xchange) - Desperate for a victory, the Detroit Pistons
needed to catch a break. Cleveland Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue
delivered that gift a day after Christmas, resting the game's
biggest star.
LeBron James got the night off as the Pistons snapped a five-game
losing streak by downing the Cavaliers 106-90 on Monday night at The
Palace.
James, who played 40 minutes in Cleveland's 109-108 victory over the
Golden State Warriors on Christmas Day, sat in street clothes and
watched his team's offense disintegrate. The Cavs shot 38 percent
from the field and committed a season-high 22 turnovers.
James was rested in two other games this season after playing a home
game the previous night. Cleveland is 23-4 when he is in uniform and
0-3 without him.
"He's probably the best player in the world," Pistons forward Jon
Leuer said. "When he's not in there, it's a different feel, for
sure. They still have some talented guys with Kyrie (Irving) and
Kevin (Love), their shooters and how they space the floor. It still
makes it difficult, but LeBron kind of facilitates everything."
Detroit hounded Golden State into 23 turnovers in its previous game,
but Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy felt the Cavs' giveaways were
mainly due to James' absence.
"I didn't think we forced a lot," he said. "Kyrie's used to making
plays, but nobody else on that team really ever has to make a play
other than Kyrie or LeBron. Today, (others) had to try to make some
plays. They're in unfamiliar territory. These are guys that normally
play off those two guys. When there's only one of them, it's a
little bit harder."
Pistons forward Tobias Harris scored 21 points while coming off the
bench for the second straight game after starting the previous 31.
That performance followed up a season-high, 26-point outing against
the Warriors.
"It's different," he said. "Obviously, when you come off the bench,
you have to use that time on the bench to evaluate the speed of the
game, how we're playing, what we're doing well, what we're not doing
well. And when you get into the game, you have to try to make that
impact from there."
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope had 18 points, Marcus Morris supplied 15
and Leuer and Reggie Jackson chipped in 13 apiece for the Pistons.
Andre Drummond added 11 points and a game-high 17 rebounds on a
night when the last-place Pistons (15-18) never trailed.
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Cavaliers guard Kay
Felder (20) dribbles the ball as Detroit Pistons center Aron Baynes
(12) defends during the second quarter at The Palace of Auburn
Hills. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
Irving
led the Cavaliers, who had their five-game winning streak snapped,
with 18 points and eight assists. Love contributed 17 points and 14
rebounds. Iman Shumpert, Kay Felder and Channing Frye had 11 points
apiece.
"Guys have to do more," Lue said of playing without James. "We have
specialists, guys who can make shots. That opens up the floor for
Kyrie, LeBron and Kevin to go to work. When one of our key guys
doesn't play, that makes it tough on the other two and it makes it
tough on the rest of the team, also."
Irving sensed from the opening minutes the Cavs were in trouble.
"Those guys were ready for us," he said. "They came out and jumped
on us. Got out to an 8-0 start, and we were just climbing back the
whole game and never really got the lead or the game in our
possession."
The Cavs pulled within one on a couple of occasions in the third
quarter but couldn't get over the hump. Leuer had an eight-point
quarter, and Detroit finished it with an 11-3 spurt for a 76-64
advantage.
Harris and Caldwell-Pope tossed in 3-pointers in the first two
minutes of the fourth quarter, extending Detroit's lead to 17. The
margin remained in double digits the rest of the way.
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