The Cleveland Cavaliers improved their record to 9-9 after a strong second half. They won 122-110 over the Detroit Pistons in Cleveland on Wednesday night.
The first half was extremely sloppy for the Cavs, but they came out with a different energy in the second half. They reduced the turnover and turned on the defense. They forced the Pistons to shoot down 45% of the field, forcing 22 turnovers.
Darius Garland was back in the starting lineup for the first game since January 2nd. Garland has rusted in the last three games, in which he has come off the bench, and has not looked completely healthy. That was not the case tonight as he put up 14 points on 6-11 from the field to go with four assistants. He looked very confident and was able to shoot the whole game off his hold.
Collin Sexton never seems to get tired and constantly puts pressure on the defense. He scored the team with 29 points, on a very effective 10-14. He also gave up five rebounds and five assists.
Cavs head coach JB Bickerstaff wanders Sexton and Garland’s minutes throughout the game, and it appears to be the best course of action. They can each orchestrate the offense while being surrounded by shooters and a shot blocker.
Andre Drummond faced off against his former team, and he struggled the first three quarters, but then the fourth turn, he was locked up. He was able to score a double double with 23 points and 16 rebounds and was effective in defense. with five stems.
The newcomers continue to make their presence felt and offer a much-needed spark off the couch. Taurean Prince had an overall game with 16 points, seven rebounds and five assists. While Jarrett Allen protects the edge all night and finishes with 10 points and two blocks. The Pistons did not challenge Allen at the edge nearly as much as with Drummond.
Following: The Cavs will depart for Madison Square Garden and face the New York Knicks on Friday. Tipoff is at 19:30