Cavaliers-Pistons Preview

By ALAN FERGUSON
Posted Dec 02 2012 2:21PM

While their road games have been mostly lackluster, the Detroit Pistons are on the verge of their longest home win streak in three seasons.

A matchup with last-place Cleveland on Monday night would appear to give the Pistons a good opportunity to accomplish that goal, but the Cavaliers have proved a little more competitive lately.

Detroit (5-13) dropped to 1-10 on the road with a pair of double-digit losses this weekend, but now it opens a three-game homestand looking to win five straight at The Palace of Auburn Hills for the first time since Nov. 29-Dec. 12, 2009.

The Pistons, though, will likely need a better shooting performance to secure that victory. They hit 34.1 percent from the field in a 92-77 loss to Dallas on Saturday.

Combined with its effort in a 90-78 defeat to Memphis on Friday, Detroit missed nearly 100 shots (58 of 157) and was 9 of 37 from 3-point range over the weekend.

"We missed 29 shots within two feet of the basket. We've got to make those shots," coach Lawrence Frank said following Saturday's loss. "We just have to have more resolve. This was a game that could have gone either way."

The Pistons haven't had such problems in Detroit lately as they've topped 52.0 percent shooting in each of their last two home games and four of five. They've made a stellar 44.8 percent of their 3-point attempts on their own floor this season (43 of 96).

Detroit will try to continue that success against Cleveland (4-13), which is 2-9 away from home. The Cavaliers, though, snapped an eight-game road losing streak Friday with a 113-111 win over Atlanta, then nearly earned back-to-back victories for the first time this season when they returned home the next day.

They led Portland by two with 2.5 seconds to go in double overtime, but Nicolas Batum hit a 3-pointer just before the buzzer to hand them a 118-117 loss.

"We just have to continue to play hard and keep trying and eventually we'll get it done," said Alonzo Gee, who tied a career high with 22 points to lead eight Cavs in double figures.

Cleveland had won four straight over the Pistons before losing the final two meetings last season, shooting a combined 34.5 percent. Detroit won 116-77 at The Palace on April 17 in the most recent matchup as Brandon Knight scored a career-high 28 points on 11-of-12 shooting.

Knight averaged 22.8 points on 69.2 percent shooting in last season's four matchups. The second-year point guard had a team-best 20 points Saturday and is averaging 18.7 over the past six games - Detroit is 3-3 in that span - after scoring 10.7 per game during the team's 2-10 start.

It's unknown if the Cavaliers will have top draft pick Dion Waiters available after the guard left in the second overtime Saturday with an ankle injury. He's third among rookies with 15.2 points per game.

Anderson Varejao dislocated his right ring finger in the opening quarter, but he returned midway through the next period and recorded his eighth consecutive double-double (19 points, 17 rebounds).

Varejao has played in only one of the Cavaliers' last seven games against the Pistons.

Pistons beat Cavs 89-79 for 5th straight home win

By NOAH TRISTER
Posted Dec 03 2012 11:22PM

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) Andre Drummond was drafted to shore up Detroit's interior defense - and the Cleveland Cavaliers found out just how active the young big man can be around the basket.

Drummond had seven points, 12 rebounds and three blocks Monday night as the Pistons won their fifth straight home game, 89-79 over Cleveland. Brandon Knight scored 17 points and Kyle Singler and Tayshaun Prince added 15 apiece for Detroit.

The Pistons blocked 13 shots, their most since also reaching that number against Philadelphia on April 15, 2007.

"I think being in position, first," coach Lawrence Frank said. "If you're in position, then you can get a block, a charge, a deflection. If you're out of position, you can't even put yourself even in position to block a shot."

Detroit is 1-10 on the road but 5-3 at home, and the Pistons have recovered a bit after losing their first eight games of the season. They beat Phoenix by 40 last week in their previous home game, and the victory over Cleveland wasn't really as close as the score indicated.

Detroit led 56-39 at halftime after holding the Cavaliers to 29 percent shooting. Cleveland shot 34 percent for the game.

Cleveland was without guard Dion Waiters, who sat out with a sprained left ankle. Anderson Varejao had 17 points and 18 rebounds for the Cavs.

"We let them have at least seven uncontested shots early in the game, but after the first quarter, I thought we got more aggressive on defense and we started getting after their shots," Cleveland coach Byron Scott said. "We got back into the game, but we never got anything going on offense."

The Cavaliers had scored 113 and 117 points in their previous two games, but the Pistons shut them down for the most part. Drummond, a first-round pick this year, set the tone along with Jason Maxiell. The Cavs struggled to convert around the basket, and they went 3 of 20 from 3-point range.

Maxiell, who is listed at 6-foot-7, had 12 points, six rebounds and five blocks.

"He may be 6-5, 6-6. He calls himself 6-8, but he plays like he's 7 feet," Drummond said. "He plays as hard as he can every single play."

A dunk by Maxiell put the Pistons ahead 14-4, and it was 30-17 after the first quarter.

Rodney Stuckey's layup off a nice pass from Knight made it 49-27, and although Cleveland chipped away at the deficit, Stuckey's floater to end the third quarter made it 75-63.

In the fourth, Drummond grabbed an offensive rebound, flipped a pass to Charlie Villanueva for a dunk and then skipped gleefully back down the court.

The Cavs cut it to six on two free throws by Varejao with 1:54 remaining, but they didn't score again.

"In the second half we did not fold when we had a chance to," Scott said. "We kept fighting but we just did not have enough offensive firepower to get the job done."

Varejao has nine straight double-doubles and at least 15 rebounds in each of those games. Cleveland had 33 second-chance points in Saturday's 118-117 loss to Portland, but only 14 against the Pistons.

Varejao was in the locker room after the game, but reporters were not permitted to approach him.

Greg Monroe had nine points and 14 rebounds for Detroit.

"Letting teams know it's going to be tough to get a win at the Palace - that's the type of mentality we want to have," Knight said. "We also want to take that mentality with us on the road."

NOTES: Maxiell surpassed 2,000 rebounds for his career. He's now at 2,001. ... Jeremy Pargo, Omri Casspi and Tristan Thompson had 10 points each for the Cavs.

Notebook: Pistons 89, Cavaliers 79

Dana Gauruder, For NBA.com
Posted Mon Dec 03, 2012 10:58 PM - Updated Tue Dec 04, 2012 1:17 AM

THE FACTS: The Detroit Pistons recorded a season-high 13 blocks, five by forward Jason Maxiell, and rolled to an 89-79 victory over the depleted Cleveland Cavaliers at The Palace of Auburn Hills Monday night. Detroit guard Brandon Knight, playing with a thigh bruise, had a team-high 17 points while Tayshaun Prince and Kyle Singler added 15 apiece. Cleveland, which played without their starting backcourt of Dion Waiters and Kyrie Irving, received 17 points and 18 rebounds from center Anderson Varejao, his ninth consecutive double-double.

QUOTABLE: "You would never know how tall Jason Maxiell is because of how hard he plays. He may be 6-5, 6-6 -- he calls himself 6-8 -- but he plays like he's seven feet. That's what it boils down to: he plays as hard as he can every single play."

-- Pistons rookie center Andre Drummond on the 6-foot-7 Maxiell

THE STAT: 33.7. The Cavaliers shot a season-low 33.7 percent, thanks to Detroit's rim protection and their inability to hit from long range (3-for-20 on 3-point attempts). Their starting perimeter players, Omri Casspi, Alonzo Gee and Jeremy Pargo, shot a combined 10-for-34. Cleveland's previous low was 35.7 percent against Phoenix on Nov. 27.

TURNING POINT: Detroit rookie guard Singler scored seven consecutive points for his club late in the first quarter, establishing a 14-point lead. Singler made a pullup in transition, a baseline jumper and a 3-pointer during that stretch as the Pistons (6-13) scored a season high 30 first-quarter points. They led by double digits from that point until midway through the fourth quarter.

QUOTABLE II: You don't want to have to rely on that but, in case you do get beat, [it's important] having bigs that have the ability to step up and have different consequences, whether it's taking charges or blocking shots. That definitely gives you a lot more confidence to really try to pressure-up."

-- Brandon Knight on Detroit's shot-blocking ability

HOT: Maxiell has blocked 13 shots in the last three games, including five in back-to-back games. He's also scored in double digits the past two games. By making six rebounds, he moved past the 2,000 mark for his career.

NOT: Cavs guard Daniel Gibson has been a Pistons killer in the past but he couldn't get his long-range game going Monday. He attempted six shots from beyond the 3-point arc and made just one.

ROOKIE WATCH: Drummond, Detroit's lottery pick, was a major factor in the lane. He had seven points, 12 rebounds -- nine at the offensive end -- and three blocks in 20 minutes. Reserve center Tyler Zeller had eight points and four rebounds for the Cavs.

NOTABLE: Waiters, the league's second-highest scorer rookie at 15.2 points per game, missed the game because of a left ankle sprain. He's questionable to play against Chicago Wednesday. Irving has been sidelined eight consecutive games with a fractured finger. ... Cleveland (4-14) has grabbed more offensive rebounds than its opponent in 17 of 18 games. ... Varajeo has 15 or more rebounds in nine consecutive games. ... Detroit has given up 16.9 fewer points (84.3 compared to 101.2) in its victories, compared to its losses. ... Singler was poked in the eye by Varejao in the third quarter, but returned in the late going.

UP NEXT: For the Cavaliers, Wednesday vs. Chicago, Friday @ Minnesota, Saturday vs. Detroit. For the Pistons, Wednesday vs. Golden State, Friday vs. Chicago, Saturday @ Cleveland.

• Cavaliers: Jones, Waiters
• Pistons: Kravtsov, Middleton

• Cavaliers: --
• Pistons: --

• Lead Changes: 1
• Times Tied: 1

• Arena: Palace of Auburn Hills, Detroit, MI
• Officials: #33 Sean Corbin, #71 Rodney Mott, #64 Sirallen Conner
• Attendance: 11352
• Duration: 2:05