CLEVELAND (Ticker) -- A day after firing coach Paul Silas, the Cleveland Cavaliers must contend with the surging Detroit Pistons at Gund Arena.

Mired in a 3-9 slide, the Cavaliers chose to part with the 61-year-old Silas on Monday. Assistant Brendan Malone was named interim coach.

Cleveland tied for the worst record in the NBA two seasons ago, earning the No. 1 pick in the lottery, which it used to take LeBron James. Silas guided the club to the brink of a playoff spot in James' first season with the club.

This season, the Cavaliers reside in fifth place in the Eastern Conference playoff race.

Silas' last game with the Cavaliers saw James break out for a franchise-record 56 points in a 105-98 loss to the Toronto Raptors on Sunday.

James was 18-of-36 from the floor, 6-of-12 from 3-point range and 14-of-15 from the line. Only four of his teammates scored, however, and Cleveland dropped its third straight.

The Pistons have won five straight and enter Tuesday with a 7 1/2-game lead over Cleveland.

Chauncey Billups scored 25 points on 8-of-12 shooting in a 110-101 victory over San Antonio on Sunday. Billups is averaging 26.7 points on 22-of-34 shooting (65 percent) in his last three games.

The Pistons held James to 11 points - his second-lowest total this season - in an 81-69 win over Cleveland on December 16.