Cavaliers at Pistons Preview
Cavaliers ( 25-20) @ Pistons (17-28)
via Bleacher Report
The red-hot Cleveland Cavaliers travel to Detroit tonight to take on the Pistons at the Palace of Auburn Hills. The Cavs have their six game winning streak on the line, and the Pistons are 11-5 in their last 16 games. Here are some things you need to know before watching.
Game Time and TV:
Cleveland Cavaliers at Detroit Pistons- Palace of Auburn Hills.
Game Start 7:30. Cavs TV: Fox Sports Ohio. Pistons TV: Fox Sports Detroit. National: NBA TV.
Projected Starting Lineups
Cavaliers:
PG: Kyrie Irving: 20.9 PPG, 5.2 APG, 3.1 RPG, 46% FG
SG: J.R. Smith: 15.2 PPG, 2.0 APG, 3.4 RPG, 40.7% FG
SF: LeBron James: 26.2 PPG, 7.4 APG, 5.6 RPG 49.3% FG
PF: Kevin Love 17.5 PPG, 2.2 APG, 10.3 RPG, 43.3% FG
C: Timofey Mozgov: 9.8 PPG, 0.3 APG, 9.0 RPG, 51.5 % FG
Pistons:
PG: D.J. Augustin: 9.0 PPG, 4.2 APG, 1.8 RPG, 39.7% FG
SG: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope: 11.8 PPG, 1.1 APG, 3.2 RPG, 39.2% FG
SF: Kyle Singler: 7.3 PPG, 1.1 APG, 2.5 RPG, 41.3% FG
PF: Greg Monroe: 15.1 PPG, 2.1 APG, 10.2 RPG, 48.9% FG
C: Andre Drummond: 12.5 PPG, .6 APG, 12.8 RPG, 49.8
Matchup to watch for:
Andre Drummond vs. Timofey Mozgov: Andre Drummond has been one of the premiere centers in the NBA since he entered the league in 2012. He averages a Double-Double in points and rebounds so far in his career, and is an offense powerhouse on the boards. In the previous game, Drummond had 16 points and 17 rebounds against the Cavs. While he dominates offensively, Drummond is inconsistent on defense, especially against men taller than he. Both Mozgov and Drummond had nearly identical games when they met while Mozgov was in Denver. The winner of this battle will definitely impact the outcome of tonight’s game.
Injuries
Cavaliers
- Brendan Hayward : Day-to-Day
- Iman Shumpert : Probable
Pistons
- Brandon Jennings : Out for Season
- Kyle Singler: Day to Day
Game Notes
- Detroit won the last matchup in Cleveland 103-80
- Detroit’s leading scorer, Brandon Jennings, is out for the rest of the year with a ruptured achilles
- Detroit is 11-5 since releasing PF Josh Smith
- The Cavaliers are 6-1 since LeBron James returned after a knee and back injury
- LeBron has averaged 30.3 PPG since returning
- Cleveland is favored by -7.5
