Jaylon Tyson scored 22 points and James Harden added 18 as the Cleveland Cavaliers avenged a recent loss in Detroit by knocking off the East-leading Detroit Pistons 113-109 on Tuesday night, despite playing without injured star Donovan Mitchell.
Evan Mobley finished with 18 points and Dennis Schroder added 15 for Cleveland, which split its four regular-season meetings with Detroit. Mitchell missed his fourth straight game with a groin strain. First-year coach Kenny Atkinson said the seven-time All-Star is “trending better,” but there is still no timetable for his return as the Cavaliers try to build chemistry with Harden, who was acquired at the trade deadline.
Detroit made a late push after trailing by 11, trimming the deficit to one in the fourth quarter. But with the game hanging in the balance, Sam Merrill buried a clutch 3-pointer to steady Cleveland and help seal the win.
Jalen Duren led the Pistons with 24 points and 14 rebounds, while Tobias Harris scored 19 — all in the second half — to spark Detroit’s rally. Cade Cunningham handed out 14 assists but struggled offensively, finishing with 10 points on 4-of-16 shooting. The loss snapped the Pistons’ six-game road winning streak.
The game carried added intensity as what has become a budding rivalry between two Eastern Conference contenders continued to simmer. Following Cleveland’s overtime loss in Detroit last week, an anonymous Cavaliers player suggested the Pistons “are not in our class.” Detroit coach J. B. Bickerstaff, who was fired by Cleveland in 2024, brushed off the comment before tipoff, saying, “If you mean it, you don’t say it anonymously.”
Cleveland suffered a potential setback in the third quarter when center Jarrett Allen, in the midst of one of the best stretches of his career, exited with a knee injury and did not return. Detroit also welcomed back Isaiah Stewart, who played 22 minutes after serving a seven-game league suspension.
Up Next: The Pistons visit San Antonio on Thursday. The Cavaliers host Boston on Sunday.
