LeBRON JAMES (23) of the Cavaliers drives past Richard Hamilton of the Pistons on Saturday night at The Palace. AP / Associated Press
Star Beacon
Wallace hurt — again — Cavaliers fall
Big Ben reinjures his back as Pistons limit LeBron to 13
ASSOCIATED PRESS Associated Press
“I thought we played more with a purpose, what we were trying to do offensively,” Detroit coach Flip Saunders said. “We weren’t as stagnant. So that was as positive as anything.”
The Pistons were pretty good on defense, too, coming within a point of holding Cleveland to its season low.
After missing his first eight shots, Cleveland’s Zydrunas Ilgauskas finished with 11 points. Reserve Devin Brown scored 11 points and Joe Smith, who was acquired last month from Chicago along with Wallace, had 10 points off the bench.
“They dominated us defensively,” James said.
Detroit took control in the opening minutes — going ahead 6-0 while Cleveland missed its first four shots — and the Cavaliers didn’t seem to put up much of a fight. The Pistons led 29-18 after the first quarter, 49-33 at halftime and 72-50 after the third.
“They were very physical from the tip and had us on our heels from the beginning,” Cavaliers coach Mike Brown said. “We got going a couple times, but you can’t play in spurts against that team.”
NOTES — Cleveland has lost six straight and eight of nine on the road. ... Former Detroit GM Jack McCloskey, who put together the Bad Boys teams that won titles in 1989 and ’90, was honored at halftime by having a banner with his name raised to the rafters. ... James said he wasn’t surprised to get booed at Ford Field the previous night while watching Davidson beat Wisconsin. “I just gave everyone a wave,” he said. ... James and Brown were called for technicals in the second quarter, arguing with officials about a call that wasn’t made against Rasheed Wallace, who hacked James, and later told Pistons radio analyst Rick Mahorn that he did foul him.
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