The Cavaliers will play their second game in as many days as they host the Detroit Pistons tonight at Quicken Loans Arena. Tipoff is at 7:00 p.m. ET.
Cleveland improved to an Eastern Conference-best 40-14 on the season (23-4 at home) after a dominating 115-92 victory on Sunday afternoon against the Thunder in Oklahoma City.
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Playing without Iman Shumpert (nursing a sprained left shoulder), Channing Frye (who still hasn’t been cleared to play) and – for the most part – Kyrie Irving (who left the game after one quarter with flu-like symptoms), the Cavaliers took the lead early in the second quarter and barely looked back, sweeping the Thunder in convincing fashion.
Kevin Love had one of his best outings of the season, leading everyone with 29 points – going 9-of-18 from the floor and 11-of-12 from the stripe, notching his team-high 25th double-double of the season with 11 boards.
LeBron James followed up with 25 points on an even 11-for-22 shooting, finishing with a team-high 11 assists, seven boards and a game-high three steals.
Tristan Thompson notched his third straight double-double, tallying 14 points and 14 boards in the victory. And J.R. Smith rounded out the Cavalier starters in double-figures with 15 points, going 5-of-8 from beyond the arc — the 23rd time this season Smith has canned more than three triples in a game.
The Wine and Gold will need another collaborative effort on Monday night against the Pistons as Cleveland looks to extend their winning streak to six games.
Detroit (27-29) dressed only 11 players in Sunday’s 111-106 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans as Donatas Motiejunas and Marcus Thornton were unavailable due to complications from last week’s trade with the Houston Rockets.
Furthermore, the Pistons will be without another piece on Monday after starting power forward, Anthony Tolliver, sprained his knee in a collision against the Pelicans. Tolliver will have an MRI on Monday.
Sunday’s loss to the Pelicans made it five in a row for the Pistons who have slipped out of the eight playoff seed in the Eastern Conference standings.
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Programming Note: On Monday, FOX Sports Ohio is airing the Cavs – Pistons game (7:00 p.m.) and the Blue Jackets – Bruins game (7:00 p.m.). To view TV listings, CLICK HERE.
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Status Update: (Cavs) – Iman Shumpert, (Left Shoulder, TBD), Kyrie Irving, (Illness, TBD), Mo Williams, (Sore Left Knee, TBD)
Status Update: (Pistons) – Jodie Meeks, (Fracture, Fifth Metatarsal, Right Foot, Out), Anthony Tolliver, (Sprained Knee, Out)
*Subject to change.
Tonight’s contest will be the third meeting between the Division foes this season as the two teams have split a pair of games in Motown. Their last meeting will come on Fan Appreciation Night at The Q on April 13th.
In their most recent meeting, the Wine and Gold beat the Pistons at The Palace of Auburn Hills, 114-106. In the victory, the Cavs connected on 27-29 (.931) from the foul line, outrebounded Detroit 47-39 and had 20 assists to eight turnovers.
Kevin Love shot 5-7 (.714) from the three-point line and finished with a game-high 29 points, six rebounds and three assists in 37 minutes.
Kyrie Irving recorded 28 points on 11-19 (.579) shooting, four rebounds, two assists and a steal in 32 minutes.
LeBron James had a near triple-double with 20 points, nine rebounds, a game-high eight assists and one steal in 36 minutes.
On Wednesday, the Wine and Gold hope to get a measure of revenge when the Hornets – who stung the Cavaliers before the break in Charlotte – come to town. On Friday night, the Cavs travel north of the border for a big Eastern Conference matchup – taking on the Raptors in the season’s rubber match at Air Canada Centre. GET TICKETS | VIEW FULL SCHEDULE
