Darius Garland scored 29 points, including eight 3-pointers, and the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers downed the Detroit Pistons 110-100 on Friday night.
The Cavs have won nine straight against the Pistons and completed a four-game season series sweep.
Evan Mobley had 22 points, 17 rebounds and seven assists. Max Strus had 14 points, while Sam Merrill and Isaac Okoro added 12 apiece.
Cleveland’s top scorer, Donovan Mitchell, did not play due to a knee injury.
Cade Cunningham led Detroit with 21 points and 10 assists. Jaden Ivey had 18 points and Isaiah Stewart supplied 16 with nine rebounds. Ausar Thompson had 15 points, seven rebounds and five steals, while Jalen Duren added 14 points and 10 rebounds.
A 3-point barrage in the second quarter allowed the Cavs to take a 63-48 halftime lead.
Merrill got it rolling with a long ball. Strus and Mobley had dunks before Garland knocked down the first of his six 3-pointers during the quarter.
Dean Wade hit a pair of 3s to give Cleveland a 51-30 lead. Garland then fired in four more long balls in a 1:41 span to make it 63-37.
Cleveland didn’t score in the last four minutes of the half while Detroit reeled off 11 unanswered points.
Stewart cut the Cavs’ lead to 12 by making a 3-pointer 21 seconds into the third quarter. Cleveland then went on a 14-1 run for a 77-52 lead.
Duren had a personal five-point run later in the quarter to bring Detroit within 18 points.
The Cavs made six free throws the remainder of the quarter to take a 91-70 lead. Cleveland also scored the first five points of the fourth to push the advantage to 26.
Cleveland’s Jarrett Allen made two free throws with 8:36 left for a 100-77 lead. The Pistons scored the next 10 points to pull within 13.
Merrill responded with a 3-pointer. Cunningham hit three free throws with 4:53 left to make it 103-93.
Ivey drained a 3-pointer with 1:22 remaining to cut Cleveland’s lead to seven.
That’s as close as Detroit would get.
–Field Level Media
