***The Pistons fought well in the fourth quarter, but it was too little, too late against a stingy Cavaliers team that built a 26-point lead – fueled by Darius’ monster second quarter Garland – and held on for the 110.-100 win Friday night at Motown. Garland scored 18 of his 29 points in the second half and Cleveland held Detroit to 37 percent shooting on the night, sweeping the season series for the second straight year.
***Darius Garland was unconscious from long range in the second quarter Friday night – going 6 of 7 from deep for 18 points. On the night, Garland was 8 of 12 from three-point range, 9 of 21 overall, adding five rebounds, four assists and a steal. The eight triples marked the second-highest mark of his career (10 drill bombs in a 51-point outburst against Minnesota last year). Garland’s sixth triple of the second quarter gave Cleveland a 26 lead.
*** Evan Mobley had another outstanding all-around game on both ends Friday – finishing with 22 points, 17 rebounds, seven assists, two steals and a pair of blocks, going 7 of 13 from the floor. and 8 of 11 from the stripe in the victory. The last Cavs player to reach those totals across the board was LeBron James in 2008. Friday marked Mobley’s 19th birthday.th double-double of the season and the second time in his last three outings with seven assists.
*** Mobley on the Cavs’ team effort Friday. “We made a few mistakes, had a few turnovers and missed a few shots down the stretch. But we took a big enough lead to be able to hold on until the final minutes. We stopped them when we needed to and got the win.
*** One game after getting hammered on the boards in Chicago, the Cavs duo of Mobley and Jarrett Allen combined for 32 of Cleveland’s 53 rebounds. Allen added nine points, two assists, a steal and a block to his 15 rebound total.
*** The Cavaliers were without Donovan Mitchell (left knee soreness) and Caris LeVert (right elbow sprain) Friday night.
***Isaac Okoro jumped into the starting lineup with Mitchell out, finishing with 12 points, going 4 of 9 from the floor, including 2 of 5 from deep (while helping hold Cade Cunningham to 6 of 19). filming). Okoro is now shooting exactly .500 percent from the floor on the year, .401 from long range. The 4thThe Auburn freshman also blocked a shot Friday night, giving him a 100 for his young career.
*** The absences of LeVert and Mitchell also opened the door for Sam Merrill, who finished with 12 points on 4-of-9 shooting from long range, adding three rebounds and an assist in 25 minutes off the bench. For Merrill, who hadn’t played in either of the last two games, Friday was the ninth time he had at least four triples coming off the bench.
*** Merrill, during his Friday evening opportunity. “(My teammates) all have confidence in me and I think I can help the team, and I mean, I’m tired of the cliché of ‘stay ready,’ but it’s definitely a thing and it’s what I’m trying to do. It’s an everyday thing, my preparation and my work on the floor and in the weight room. But also understanding that we have a lot of really good players, so just try to be the best you can be whenever the opportunity presents itself.
***The Cavaliers have now won eight of their last 10 road games, are 22-8 against the Central Division over the last two seasons and made their ninth straight decision against the Pistons – the longest streak of head-to-head victories in the history of these two franchises.
*** After holding off Detroit on Friday, the Cavaliers return home for three of the next four – and they are three huge clashes, with the Knicks arriving on Sunday, followed by a visit from the Celtics (leading the Eastern Conference) on Tuesday and a meeting with the Timberwolves (leading the Western Conference) on Friday. In between busy home games, Cleveland travels to Atlanta for a Wednesday night battle with the Hawks.
