Pistons at Cavaliers
Cleveland hopes point guard Kyrie Irving is back in action Sunday at home against Detroit, but it knows LeBron James can still carry the load. With Irving out with a knee contusion Friday in Orlando, James carried the Cavaliers with 29 points - 15 in the fourth quarter - and eight assists in a 98-89 win, their fourth victory in five games. James outscored the Magic by himself in the fourth and is averaging 27.4 points on 54.9 percent shooting since missing a game Dec. 11 with knee pain.
"What he did tonight was significant," head coach David Blatt said of James. "It lifted us." While James was a one-man show at times against Orlando, the Pistons spread the wealth in a big way with seven players in double figures in a 119-109 win over Indiana on Friday, their first game since releasing forward Josh Smith. Andre Drummond's 20 points led the way as Detroit shot 54.7 percent in its best offensive showing of the season while snapping a four-game slide.
TV: 4:30 p.m. ET, FSN Detroit, FSN Ohio (Cleveland)
ABOUT THE PISTONS (6-23): Smith's departure allowed forward Greg Monroe to move back into the starting lineup after coming off the bench in 11 of the previous 12 games, and the fifth-year pro responded with 19 points and 15 rebounds. The effort may be a sign of things to come as Monroe seemed to be motivated even more during his time on the bench, averaging 16.1 points in 27.5 minutes. Monroe averaged 13.4 points in 30.2 minutes as a starter prior to Friday.
ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (18-11): As James stole the show Friday night and Irving was out with injury, the other member of Cleveland's star trio - Kevin Love - found himself benched in the fourth quarter, a decision Blatt made to provide the best defensive matchups down the stretch. It worked, with the Cavaliers smothering the Magic in the final 12 minutes as Love showed his support from the sidelines. James made it a point to comment on Love's enthusiasm from the sidelines, hoping his teammates took note of the All-Star forward's ability to swallow his pride in the name of a victory, calling it a step forward for the team as a whole.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Pistons PG Brandon Jennings has 27 assists against six turnovers in his last three games and has gone nine straight contests with three or fewer giveaways.
2. James was limited to 22 points in four games against Detroit last season but shot 54.8 percent and averaged 9.5 assists, his highest total against an Eastern Conference opponent.
3. Dion Waiters scored 22 points to lead Cleveland to a 122-100 win last April 9 in the previous meeting, finishing off a 3-1 season series victory.