Game Summary
The Cavaliers (9-7) hit the road against their Central Division Rivals, the Detroit Pistons (11-5), on Monday night. Tipoff from Little Caesars Arena is at 7:00 p.m. (ET).
The Wine & Gold are aiming for their fifth-straight victory when they roll into the Motor City on Monday and can improve their November road record to an impressive 4-1 if they snag a "W" against the Pistons.
Cavs Visit Pistons
From where to catch all the action to Monday's game notes, Cavs.com has you covered.
FOX Sports Ohio
WTAM 1100, 100.7 WMMS, 87.7 FM La Mega
Joe G.'s guide to a victory.
Learn more about Monday's matchup.
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With their recent string of wins, the Cavs have a lot to be thankful for during this holiday season. After notching an impressive come-from-behind win in overtime against the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday, the club has now scored at least 110 points in seven of their past eight matchups.
The bench has been an important factor in the Cavs' recent offensive explosion. The reserves are averaging 39.5 points this season, which is tied for fifth-most in the NBA. Coming into Monday's game, the bench has scored at least 40 points in four of the last five games, including 40 total points in Friday’s 118-113 win over the Clippers.
In terms of individual performances, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade have been on a tear.
Against Los Angeles, LBJ registered his 10th double-double of the season with a game-high 39 points (19 in the 4Q and OT) on 17-26 (.654) shooting, 14 rebounds and six assists. He is now averaging 28.9 points in 2017-18, the 3rd-highest scoring average in the NBA.
Wade also recorded a double-double against the Clippers, his second of the season, with 23 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and two blocks. With his first block of the game, DWade passed Vince Carter (811 BLK) for the second-most blocks by a guard in NBA history and now only trails Michael Jordan (893 BLK).
Of course, a win on Monday won't come easy for the Cavs. They'll be tipping off against a Detroit team that has been playing tough, even against some of the league's best clubs. They are currently sitting atop the Central Division standings despite dropping two of their past three games.
In order to keep pace with the Cavs, the Pistons will have to rely on their three-point game, which has been nothing short of fantastic this season. The club has connected on 12-plus treys in six-straight games, which is a franchise record.
The Pistons are also cruising against their opponents in their brand new arena. In fact, Detroit has tallied six-straight home wins this season as well as three-straight victories in back-to-backs.
Speaking of back-to-back games, the Pistons will face the Cavs after dropping the Minnesota Timberwolves 100-97 last night in the North Star State. In the win, all five Detroit starters tallied double-digit points with big man Andre Drummond leading the charge with 20. Tobias Harris and Avery Bradley followed Drummond's lead with 18 points apiece against Minny.
Where to Catch the Action
TV: FOX Sports Ohio
Radio: WTAM 1100, 100.7 WMMS, 87.7 La Mega
Programming Note: On Monday, FOX Sports Ohio is airing the Blue Jackets – Sabres (7:00 p.m.) and the Cavs – Pistons game (7:00 p.m.). To view TV listings, CLICK HERE.
For live in-game updates, follow @cavs, @CavsJoeG, @CavsFredMcLeod, @MrCavalier34, @CavsJMike and @chones22 on Twitter.
Probable Starters/Status Update*
#81 - Jose Calderon
#5 - JR Smith
#23 - LeBron James
#99 - Jae Crowder
#0 - Kevin Love
G
G
F
F
C
#22 Avery Bradley
#1 - Reggie Jackson
#7 - Stanley Johnson
#34 - Tobias Harris
#0 - Andre Drummond
Status Update: (Cavs) - Isaiah Thomas, (Right hip, Out), Derrick Rose, (Left ankle sprain/soreness, Out), Tristan Thompson, (Left calf strain, Out), Iman Shumpert, (Left knee effusion, Out)
Status Update: (Pistons) - None to report.
*Subject to change.
Head-to-Head Matchup
Heading into Detroit, the Cavaliers will play the Pistons for the first time ever at Little Caesars Arena. Last season, the two Central Division foes split their four-game regular season series, as each team won two games apiece on their home floor.
The last time these two teams faced off was March 14, 2017 when the Cavs defeated the Pistons, 128-96, at The Q. The 32-point margin of victory was Cleveland’s largest against Detroit in franchise history. In that contest, Cleveland made 23 of their first 26 field goal attempts and finished the night shooting a season-best .597 (46-77) from the field.
LeBron absolutely excelled against Detroit last season, notching a triple-double in each of the last two games against Detroit (29 PTS, 14 REB, 10 AST on 3/9/17 at DET and 16 PTS, 11 REB, 12 AST on 3/14/17 at CLE). Over his career, he has five triple-doubles against the Pistons.
Both clubs will play each other three more times following Friday's dual. Their next meeting will take place in The Land on January 28, 2018.
On Deck
Following Monday's matchup with the Pistons, the Cavs head home for two games. They'll take on the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. (ET) before battling the Charlotte Hornets at 8:00 p.m. (ET) on Black Friday. Friday night's game will see the club debuting their black NBA Statement unis for the first time this season.