The Cleveland Cavaliers are now 9-9 on the season with their comfortable 122-107 win over the visiting Detroit Pistons.
After two straight losses the Cleveland Cavaliers are back to .500 on the season. The Detroit Pistons came to town and they were just the matchup the Cavs needed after facing the Celtics and Lakers in their previous two contests.
The first half was pretty much even as Detroit held a two-point lead going into halftime. It was the second half which yielded better results for the Cavaliers. Cleveland outscored Detroit 68-51 over the final two quarters and that led to the Cavs 15-point victory.
The Cavaliers led in three key areas, field goal percentage (54%-45.4%), steals (14-7), and points in the paint (66-46). These are the three areas where Cleveland wins games if they hold the edge and that is what happened Wednesday night.
SexLand returns to the starting lineup
Darius Garland has been back for a few games, but it was in a bench role. Wednesday night Garland was able to rejoin running mate Collin Sexton in the starting lineup. SexLand appears to be a more formidable duo than most could have imagined. The Cavaliers starting backcourt is what drives the offense, whether through scoring or playmaking.
Sexton scored a game-high 29 points on 10-14 shooting (1-1 3PT) and made 8 of 10 free throws. Sexton had a good all around performance as he finished with 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals.
Garland chipped in 14 points on 6 of 11 from the field including making both three-point attempts. Garland also had 4 assists, 2 rebounds, and 2 steals.
Andre Drumond shines against former team
Aside from the some questionable shot attempts and an uninspiring shooting percentage, Andre Drummond had an impressive performance against his former team. Drummond finished with 23 points, 16 rebounds (6 offensive), 5 steals, 2 assists, and 2 blocks. Again, the only critical area is his 9-24 shooting from the field. Luckily it did not cost the Cavaliers the game.
Former Nets are proving crucial to success
The Cavaliers acquisitions of Jarrett Allen and Taurean Prince need a lot more buzz. Allen has been a spectacular player off the bench while Prince has rediscovered his shooting stroke. The duo combined for 26 points off the bench Wednesday with Prince grabbing 7 rebounds and assisting on 5 other baskets. Both Allen and Prince had 2 blocks each.
