Cleveland Cavaliers upset Detroit Pistons in NBA Eastern Conference clash
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Cade Cunningham (left) of the Detroit Pistons guarding the Cleveland Cavaliers' James Harden during the Cavaliers' 113-109 NBA home win on March 3.
PHOTO: AFP
Los Angeles – The Cleveland Cavaliers shrugged off the injury absence of star point guard Donovan Mitchell to claim a 113-109 upset of National Basketball Association (NBA) Eastern Conference leaders the Detroit Pistons on March 3.
Jaylon Tyson scored 22 points while James Harden and Evan Mobley finished with 18 points apiece to give the Cavaliers an impressive victory in front of their home fans.
A hard-fought encounter saw Cleveland take the lead early in the second quarter, and their dogged and consistent defence kept them in the lead for the remainder of the game.
“It’s a good win, not perfect by any means, but we’ll take it,” Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said afterwards.
Jalen Duren led Detroit’s scorers with 24 points but it was a frustrating night for Pistons star Cade Cunningham, who was restricted to just 10 points by Cleveland’s relentless defence.
“Just throw bodies at him, try to wear him down, contest everything and try to keep him off the free-throw line,” Atkinson said of Cleveland’s approach to Cunningham.
Despite the defeat, Detroit remained comfortably on top of the East with a 45-15 record, 4½ games clear of the second-placed Boston Celtics. Cleveland improved to 39-24 and sit in fourth.
Elsewhere on March 3, the San Antonio Spurs produced another dazzling all-round performance on the road to demolish the Philadelphia 76ers 131-91.
Sixers fans began heading for the exits well before the game finished as San Antonio surged into a 49-point lead towards the end of the third quarter.
Eight Spurs players finished in double figures, with Devin Vassell and Dylan Harper leading the scoring with 22 points each.
“It wasn’t any amazing individual performance; it was just team play,” said San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama, who contributed 10 points.
“When we’re locked in, when we feel like this as a team, I think we’re the best team in the world,” the Frenchman added.
Reigning NBA champions the Oklahoma City Thunder maintained their grip on the Western Conference with a 116-108 road win over the Chicago Bulls.
The Thunder are three games clear of San Antonio atop the West.
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Lakers were pushed all the way by the struggling New Orleans Pelicans before edging clear to claim a 110-101 victory.
A back-and-forth contest in Los Angeles saw the lead change hands 18 times before the Lakers finally closed out the win with a 24-7 run late in the fourth quarter.
Luka Doncic led the scoring with 27 points and LeBron James added 21 as the Lakers improved to 37-24 to remain in sixth place in the West.
Anthony Edwards’ 41 points helped the Minnesota Timberwolves take down the Memphis Grizzlies 117-110 in Minneapolis, while the New York Knicks were too strong for the hosts Toronto Raptors in a 111-95 win. AFP
