The Cavaliers bring their East-leading record to Detroit tonight, where the surging Pistons await
Cleveland rolls into Little Caesars Arena as 6.5-point favorites against a Detroit team that’s finding its rhythm despite missing star guard Cade Cunningham.
The top-seeded Cavs (59-14) have been dominating the Eastern Conference all season. They’re an impressive 28-9 on the road and have absolutely owned their division with an 11-1 record against Central opponents.
Detroit (41-32) has quietly put together a solid season, going 20-16 at home and showing signs of finally turning things around after years of rebuilding.
The game tips off at 7 p.m. ET and will be available on NBA League Pass.
Injury Report
- Ty Jerome (knee; questionable)
- Jaylon Tyson (knee; questionable)
- Evan Mobley (rest; questionable)
- Emoni Bates (G League assignment; out)
- Cade Cunningham (calf; ruled out)
- Jaden Ivey (leg; out indefinitely)
Recent Form
Cleveland has been playing solid basketball lately, going 6-4 in their last 10 games while averaging 117.3 points per contest.
They’re coming off an impressive 124-116 win over San Antonio yesterday, where Jarrett Allen was a monster with 29 points and 15 rebounds.
Donovan Mitchell also showed why he’s one of the league’s elite, filling the stat sheet with 25 points, 8 rebounds, and 14 assists.
The Cavs are riding a three-game winning streak but will be tested with their third game in four nights.
Detroit has actually matched Cleveland’s recent 6-4 record over their last 10 games, putting up even better offensive numbers with 120.2 points per game during that stretch.
They’ve been shooting the lights out, hitting nearly 50% from the floor.
Pistons Finding Their Way
The most surprising development has been Detroit’s ability to win without Cunningham. They’ve taken the first two games of their current homestand with their star sidelined.
Marcus Sasser has stepped up big time. The reserve guard dropped a career-high 27 points in Tuesday’s 122-96 blowout win over San Antonio, following a 20-point performance against New Orleans.
Detroit is tantalizingly close to its first winning season since 2015-16. After eight straight losing campaigns, they need just one more victory to guarantee a winning record.
History Favors Cleveland
The Pistons face a tough challenge in the Cavs, who have won the last 12 meetings between these teams, including all three matchups this season.
Cleveland has been exceptional on the road lately, going 13-3 in their last 16 away games.
But Detroit has been handling Eastern Conference opponents well, winning 9 of their last 10 against teams from their conference.
According to ESPN’s Basketball Power Index, Cleveland has a 67.7% chance of extending their winning streak against the Pistons tonight.
With Cleveland playing on the second night of a back-to-back and potentially resting Mobley, could this be Detroit’s chance to finally break through against their division rivals?
