Collin Sexton had 29 points and the host Cleveland Cavaliers pulled away to a 122-107 victory over the mistake-prone Detroit Pistons on Wednesday.
Andre Drummond powered for 23 points, 16 rebounds, five steals and two blocks for Cleveland. Taurean Prince supplied 16 points, seven rebounds and five assists off the bench and Darius Garland had 14 points.
Cedi Osman, Isaac Okoro and Jarrett Allen added 10 points apiece.
Jerami Grant led the Pistons with 26 points. Wayne Ellington had 17 points and Mason Plumlee contributed 15 points and 12 rebounds but also committed eight turnovers. Derrick Rose added 13 points in 19 minutes and Delon Wright chipped in 11 points with seven assists.
The Cavaliers turned 22 Detroit turnovers into 30 points and outscored the Pistons 66-46 in the paint.
Detroit’s Blake Griffin sat out due to injury management. Cleveland’s Larry Nance Jr. missed the game with a wrist injury.
The Pistons were clinging to a 56-54 lead at halftime. Both teams had trouble holding onto the ball as each committed 12 turnovers. Neither side had a lead bigger than eight points. Grant paced the Pistons with 12 points, while Sexton and Drummond combined for 28 Cavaliers points.
Cleveland began the second half with a 10-2 run, aided by three Pistons turnovers. Grant tied the game at 69-all midway through the quarter with a 3-pointer.
A 9-3 Cavs spurt later in the quarter, which included five points from Prince, gave them an 81-74 advantage. Sexton made two free throws in the closing seconds to give Cleveland a 90-82 lead heading into the fourth.
Prince scored the first basket in the final period for the first double-digit lead of the game.
The Cavs’ Dylan Windler drained a 3-pointer with 9:17 remaining to make it 99-86.
Okoro’s three-point play following a Detroit turnover upped Cleveland’s lead to 18, 106-88, with seven minutes left. A Drummond basket moments later made it a 19-point spread, 108-89.
The Pistons never got closer than 11 the rest of the way.
–Field Level Media