CLEVELAND, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – The Cavaliers improved to 2-0 with a 113-101 win over the Pistons in their home opener. It’s the Cavs first 2-0 start since the 2020-21 season.
The Cavs have now won 10 straight games over the Pistons, their longest active win streak against any opponent. Cleveland’s 12-3 in their last 15 home games against Detroit.
Here’s how the wine and gold got the job done in their 2024 home opener.
Strong start – Darius Garland had the hot hand early, scoring nine of Cleveland’s first 12 points with threes. Those were the only points Garland contributed in a 65-point first-half for Cleveland. Garland scored four points the rest of the way.
The Cavs first 15 points were scored from behind the arc. Four of the five baskets were assisted by Donovan Mitchell who finished a scoreless first quarter with five assists.
Cleveland’s now 26-7 with Donovan Mitchell in the lineup in the regular season since last January. Mitchell finished with 19 points and five assists.
Dean Wade matched “Spida” with 19 points. Wade converted five of his seven three-point shots.
“He’s so talented,” head coach Kenny Atkinson said. “What a find by the Cavs. That’s going to go down as one of the greatest finds in the last 10 years, you know, undrafted. It’s a beautiful story.”
“With the amount of weapons we have, it’s pretty easy for me,” Wade said. “Our spacing has been so good, it’s very clear when you can shoot and when you can’t, so I think that’s been the biggest thing for me.”
Foot on the gas – Detroit cut Cleveland’s lead to four points with 2:21 left in the third quarter. The Cavs adjusted and took advantage of a timeout as they finished the quarter on an 8-0 run.
Donovan Mitchell scored 10 of his 19 points in the third quarter, as the Cavs entered the fourth with what was at the time a game-high 12-point lead.
The Cavaliers never looked back as they scored 22 points in the final quarter to secure the 113-101 win in front of a sold-out crowd.
“It was awesome,” Ty Jerome said. “The beginning felt like a playoff game almost. It was packed. It’s an awesome sports city for sure.”
Spark off the bench – In two games this season, Ty Jerome and Caris LeVert have had big contributions.
Ty Jerome came alive off the Cavalier bench in the second quarter. Jerome scored 10 points on challenging shots with three assists in the quarter. The Cavs had six different players score in double-digits.
“He’s been good since we started in open gym in September,” Atkinson said. “He’s obviously got great IQ, reads the game really well, and the scoring today was an added bonus.”
LeVert was the spark plug off the bench that he’s become known for. He brought energy to the floor, scoring nine points with three steals on the defensive end.
“He’s improved so much defensively,” Atkinson said. “In Brooklyn, he was a young pup trying to figure it out. He has really turned into a heck of a defensive player.”
Defense – The Cavs wreaked havoc on the defensive end, finishing the game with 13 steals and causing the Pistons to turn the ball over 22 times. Cleveland scored 32 points off Detroit’s turnovers.
The Pistons shot 61.5% from three-point range in the first half. The Cavs did a better job at defending the perimeter in the final two quarters, dropping the Pistons 3PT% to 40.6% for the game.
Cade Cunningham led all scorers with 33 points for Detroit.
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Milestone – Evan Mobley played in his 200th career regular season game.
Mobley contributed 16 points in the Cavs win. He even drained two first-half three-pointers that have become a part of his versatile game.
Welcome back J.B. – Friday’s home opener had even more meaning with the coach opposing the Cavaliers. J.B. Bickerstaff manned the Detroit Pistons baseline in his first appearance at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse since being fired by Cleveland.
“It’s a basketball game at the end of the day,” Bickerstaff said pregame. “10 years from now, 15 years from now, you’ll look back on it but when you’re in the moment, it doesn’t matter.”
Bickerstaff was hired as the Cavs head coach after the 2020 All-Star break. Cleveland owned a 170-159 regular season record in his tenure.
Bickerstaff was welcomed with cheers by the 19,432 fans in attendance for the home opener. The team played a video package in the former coach’s honor in the first quarter.
“I think it should have been all praise for him,” Jarrett Allen said. “He came in when this team was not high in the standings and he turned everything around. It was a rocky ending as some people say, but he gave everything to this team and I think fans should applaud him for that.”
Up next – The Cavs head to Washington on Saturday for their first matchup of the season against the Wizards. Cleveland won all four games against Washington last year, scoring 114-or-more points in each of those four wins.