4-13-16 vs Pistons

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Wrap-Up -- With a First Round playoff date set for the weekend, neither the Pistons nor the Cavs had any intentions of showing their cards – (or starters) – in Wednesday’s home finale.

Despite the star-power, the regular season wrap-up turned out to be one of the most entertaining games of the season – with the Wine and Gold going on a furious fourth-quarter rally before relenting in overtime – 112-110 – before a packed house at The Q.

Jordan McRae, who joined the team on a 10-day contract in late February, led all scorers with 36 points – including the game-tying trey with 14.6 to play in regulation.

The former Tennessee standout went 14-for-29 from the floor, 3-of-5 from long-range and 5-of-8 from the stripe.

Unfortunately for McRae – who added seven assists and four boards – two of his three misses from the stripe came with 0.9 to play in overtime after being fouled on a three-point attempt by Detroit’s Stanley Johnson. But it’s be tough to fault McRae for the late misses, having logged 46 minutes the previous night in the Canton Charge’s Eastern Conference Finals loss to Sioux Falls.

After trailing for most of the night, the Cavaliers found themselves down 10 – 95-85 – with 5:37 to play. But McRae and Timofey Mozgov keyed an 18-8 run to close the fourth, sending the affair into an extra-session.

In OT, the Wine and Gold tied the game early on Mozgov’s layup, but Spencer Dinwiddie’s jumper with 1:33 to play gave Detroit a two-possession edge and just enough room to take their third game in four tries against Cleveland this season.

With the playoffs just days away, both Stan Van Gundy and Tyronn Lue rested their starters. LeBron James, Kevin Love, Kyrie Irving and J.R. Smith sat for the Cavaliers. Tristan Thompson started – notched his NBA-leading 370th straight appearance, picked up a personal foul five seconds into the contest and took a seat for the rest of the night.

Still, the Cavs featured five players in double-figures.

McRae sends the game into OT with a triple.

Richard Jefferson finished with 16 points on 5-for-11 shooting, Channing Frye finished with 14 points, six boards and four assists and Mozgov doubled-up for just the second time this season.

Veteran guard, Dahntay Jones, who signed with the squad earlier in the day as an insurance policy for the playoffs, finished with 13 points, five boards and a pair of assists before fouling out in overtime.

The Cavaliers shot 47 percent from the floor and 39 percent from beyond the arc. Cleveland dominated Detroit in the paint, 50-24, and handed out 21 assists, but the Pistons were deadly from deep on Wednesday – going 16-for-33 from long-range.

Turning Point -- The Pistons took a double-digit lead midway through the second quarter and essentially kept the Cavs at bay for the next two periods.

But Jordan McRae – who tallied 21 points in the second stanza – scored nine of those points in the final 2:10 of the fourth quarter to knot the game at 103-apiece. But McCrae and Co. ran out of gas in the extra session and fell for just the second time this season when topping the 110-point plateau.

By the Numbers – 33-8 … Cavaliers’ home record at The Q this season – the best mark in the East and 3rd-best in the NBA. Dating back to January 19 of last year, the Wine and Gold are 53-9 at home, winning 35 of those games by double-figures.

Quotable – Jordan McRae, on getting tips from Kyrie Irving from the sideline …

”We are the same age and that is somebody I hang out with a lot on and off the court. He has been in the league now for five years, whereas I have only been in the league for five minutes. I was just trying to soak up as much information as I can from him, especially when I was playing the point.”

Up Next – The Cavaliers will play the Pistons again – but the next time they do, it’ll be in Round One of the NBA Playoffs. Detroit comes to Cleveland for Games 1 and 2 – dates and times still TBD. The Wine and Gold will travel to the Motor City for Games 3 and 4. The Wine and Gold swept Detroit out of the postseason in 2009 and have won three straight playoff games at the Palace – the third coming in LeBron’s epic 48-point overtime performance during Cleveland’s first Finals run in 2007.

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Cavs Can't Rally Past Pistons in Wild Finale

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Mic'd Up with James Jones - April 13, 2016

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Postgame: James Jones – April 13, 2016

Postgame: Jordan McRae – April 13, 2016

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Postgame: Coach Lue – April 13, 2016

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Listen to Radio Play-by-Play announcer John Michael's Call of the Game during the Cavs game against the Detroit Pistons at Quicken Loans Arena on April 13, 2016.

Jordan McRae hits a triple to tie the game up at 103 and send the game into overtime as part of his career-high 36 point night.

Escucha a la voz en español de los Cavaliers Rafa "El Alcalde" con la narración de la jugada del partido entre Los Cavaliers de Cleveland y Los Pistons de Detroit en El Quicken Loans Arena  el  13 de Abril del 2016. Los Cavs perdieron en tiempo extra frente a Los Pistons en el último partido de la temporada regular 112 - 110. Con todos los titulares descansando la banca hizo un gran trabajo a pesar de la derrota. Jordan McRae tuvo la mejor noche de su carrera anotando 36 puntos y entregando 7 asistencias. Tres de sus puntos llegaron con este triple que empato el partido 103 mandándolo a tiempo extra.

Be sure to follow @ElalcaldeRafa on Twitter.

(On what he wanted to get out of tonight’s game): “Just guys getting extended minutes. Minutes they probably wouldn’t play if everyone were healthy. So, just letting guys get a rhythm and get a feel for the game. I thought our guys did that. I thought they came out, competed and played hard tonight.”

(On how he felt when the bench erupted when he tied the game with a three): “Just to be on a veteran team and I cheer for “Bron” (LeBron James) and those guys every night, but to see those roles reversed felt good.”

(On where he thinks the team is at compared to a year ago): “We’re better all across the board. We are physically and mentally locked in. I think at this point last year, we were still trying to find our way. Now I think we understand who we are and what is in front of us. Over the last few weeks, we have really started to feel that edge that we need to sustain the effort level necessary to chase a championship. We are ready to go.”

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Sounds of the Game: Cavaliers vs. Pistons - April 13, 2016

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Kaun with the Rejection - April 13, 2016

Frye with the Acrobatic And-One - April 13, 2016

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4‑13‑16 vs Pistons