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The Detroit Pistons entered tonight's Central Division matchup on a four-game skid after starting the season 5-1. That streak included losses to the depleted LA Clippers, dysfunctional Sacramento Kings and absolutely hopeless LA Lakers. The Cavaliers had won eight of nine, with LeBron James looking as fresh as ever, despite there being chatter that he's past his prime. At this point it's safe to say that the Pistons needed a win, especially one against a quality opponent like the Cleveland Cavaliers, and that's exactly what they got.
The game started off even, with both teams exchanging baskets and swapping the lead throughout the first and second quarter. Reggie Jackson started tonight's game in attack mode, finishing the first half with 15 points and five assists. He went cold from the floor early in the second half, but was able to find Andre Drummond for a myriad of alley-oops, doing a great job of slashing his way into the paint, creating for himself and his teammates. Speaking of Andre Drummond, he was on a mission tonight, and looked to cement his place as the best center in the NBA. Andre put together another monster performance, finishing with 25 points AND 18 rebounds
LeBron James was the Cavaliers' MVP, scoring 23 of his 30 points in the first half, and passing Jerry West on the all-time scoring list.
The Pistons started off scarily slow in the second half, with the Cavaliers scoring the first 10 points of the third quarter. The Cavs eventually led by as many as 13 points, with big shots by Kevin Love and Mo Williams. Then came the fourth quarter.
Ersan Ilyasova came up clutch, hitting big threes to pull the Pistons close late. Reggie Jackson saved his best for last, finding Andre Drummond at the rim, hitting big shots, and shooting the clinching free-throws to ice the game late. Reggie finished with 23 points and 12 assists, and the Pistons only allowed two points in the final 3 minutes of the game.
The Pistons are finally back in the winner's' circle, winning two of three against the Central Division. Although the Pistons escaped with a win, the bench remains to be a major concern, scoring a grand total of eight points. On a positive note, the Pistons beat the beasts of the east, and hit the road to face off against the Minnesota Timberwolves this Friday at 8:00pm EST.