Then as the Bucks did in Cleveland, the bottom fell out for the Cavaliers as the Pistons outscored Cleveland by fourteen points in the fourth quarter to ease past the Cavaliers 115-105.
The loss stopped Cleveland's winning streak at three, dropped their record to 30-20 on the season, and was only the 12th win for the lowly Pistons.
Darius Garland led Cleveland with 24 points with Evan Mobley adding 18 in support.
Cleveland returns home tonight to face another lottery-bound team in the New Orleans Pelicans.
Swashbucklings
1) J.B. Bickerstaff stated after the game that the Cavaliers "thought it was going to come easy" and after the first quarter, I think the coach nailed it head-on.
It did seem that the intensity was waning, especially on the defensive end of the court where the Cavaliers definitely seemed to be a step slow.
2) Detroit's starters couldn't have hit the ocean with a shot in the first quarter but their second unit was a key factor in not allowing the game to get too out of hand.
Frank Jackson scored fifteen of his nineteen points in that quarter to single-handedly keep the Pistons from falling behind by twenty or more.
3) The Cavaliers are the team that is supposed to be built on defense and the edge that comes with that but it was the Pistons that were the more physical and rougher team defending in this game.
You could almost say that the Pistons got away with too much grabbing and holding if the Cavaliers didn't often use the same tactics.
4) Cleveland held Cade Cunningham without a point in the first half but the top overall pick from Oklahoma State would finish with 19 points and a triple-double with ten assists and ten rebounds.
5) Dean Wade finished with 14 points and was four of five from beyond the three-point arc but Wade doesn't present the matchup problems that Lauri Markkanen can and defensively Wade is far from a force.
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