Weekend Warriors
The Wine & Gold try to get back into the win column on Friday night as their current four-game homestand rolls on – welcoming Cade Cunningham and the Pistons to town for a Central Division showdown.
The Cavaliers are coming off a disappointing decision in their homecoming game on Wednesday night – tipping off a four-game homestand against the Wizards. Cleveland led for most of the second half, but Washington’s Kyle Kuzma caught fire in the fourth – drilling four triples in the period, including the game-winner with 11.4 to play, snapping the Cavs four-game win streak.
Without the services of Collin Sexton – out with a left knee injury – as well as Lauri Markkanen and Kevin Love – both in the league’s health and safety protocol – the Wine & Gold were led by Ricky Rubio, who finished with 20 points off the bench – going 6-for-15 from the floor and 7-of-8 from the stripe, adding five boards, five assists and a pair of steals.
Evan Mobley followed up with 19 points on 7-of-15 shooting, adding seven boards and a block despite getting into early foul trouble and Darius Garland chipped in with 19 points of his own, going 8-of-16 from the floor in the loss. The Eastern Conference’s reigning Player of the Week, Jarrett Allen, doubled-up in his fifth straight game.
The struggling Pistons come to town having won just two of their first 10 contests, but they’re coming off a recent victory – dropping the Rockets in Houston in a battle between this past Draft’s top two picks. In the win, Cunningham – the top overall pick this past July – finished with 20 points on 8-of-18 shooting. Jerami Grant led both squads with 35 points.
After facing off against Detroit on Friday, the Cavs welcome Boston to town for two straight – taking on the Celtics in the second half of the back-to-back on Saturday before wrapping up the homestand on Monday night.
History
These two teams have plenty of history – and a little bit of bad blood – after facing off in 225 regular season games and 21 playoff meetings.
In the regular season, the Pistons hold a 130-95 all-time edge – with the Wine and Gold dropping a four-point decision in Detroit last April, but winning the previous four head-to-head matchups, two of those in overtime. In the Playoffs, the record slants heavily towards Cleveland – holding a 15-6 advantage. The Cavs won the final four games of the 2007 Eastern Conference Finals and swept Detroit in both 2009 and 2016, stringing 12 straight postseason wins together.
The all-time single-game rebound leader for Detroit is, naturally, Dennis Rodman – who snagged 26 boards in a 17-point Pistons win in 1992 – offsetting a 24-point, 11-rebound game for Brad Daugherty. The Wine & Gold’s single-game rebound leader is Jim Chones, who grabbed 21 in a 1977 loss at the Coliseum in Richfield.
Connections
The newest Cavaliers assistant – and the oldest coach on the staff – Sidney Lowe did a pair of stints on Detroit’s bench – under Flip Saunders in 2005-06 and again on Dwane Casey’s staff from 2018-2020.
Lowe, who was an assistant with the Cavs back from 1994-99, also played in six games for the Pistons during his sophomore season after helping NC State win the 1983 NCAA National Championship.