Jackson's 23 points pace Pistons to 96-88 win over Cavaliers
CLEVELAND (AP) - Reggie Jackson scored 23 points, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope added 19 and the Detroit Pistons withstood Cleveland's late comeback for a 96-88 win over the Cavaliers on Monday night to snap a five-game losing streak.
One day after allowing New Orleans center Anthony Davis to score 59 points with 20 rebounds, the Pistons beat the Eastern Conference's top team for the second time this season.
Andre Drummond added 15 rebounds for the Pistons, who let an 18-point lead in the fourth quarter dwindle to six before putting away the Cavs.
Kyrie Irving scored 30 and Kevin Love 24 for Cleveland, which had an off night after looking so impressive in a win at Oklahoma City on Sunday. LeBron James scored just 12 points - 13 below his average - and went 5 of 18 from the floor, missing all four 3-point tries and committing six turnovers.
Tobias Harris, acquired from Orlando in a trade last week, scored 14 in his first start for the Pistons.
Detroit opened the fourth quarter with a 13-2 run to take an 18-point lead on Caldwell-Pope's short jumper with 6:31 remaining.
After going through the motions most of the night, the Cavs finally awakened and reeled off 10 straight points to get to 88-82. But Jackson responded by dropping a floater in the lane, and Caldwell-Pope made the game's biggest play, stripping a driving James and then taking the ball the length of the floor for a layup, a bucket that brought Pistons radio commentator Rick Mahorn - one of Detroit's original Bad Boys - out of his seat.
Before the game, the Pistons rescinded their three-team trade last week with Houston and Philadelphia because not all the players involved were cleared medically.
Houston had traded guard Marcus Thornton and center Donatas Motiejunas to Detroit for center Joel Anthony and a protected first-round draft pick. The Rockets also made the move to acquire the draft rights of forward Chukwudiebere Maduabum from Philadelphia.
Down by 17 in the third quarter and playing with little intensity at either end, the Cavs clamped down on defense and held Detroit scoreless over the final 4:56 of the period.
However, they were only able to score seven points themselves and went into the fourth behind 75-68.
Harris and Jackson then opened the quarter with 3-pointers, and the young Pistons held it together down the stretch for one of their biggest wins this season.
The Cavs were their own worst enemies in the first half, committing 12 turnovers that the Pistons converted into 16 points, enabling Detroit to open a 56-49 halftime lead.
TIP-INS
Pistons: F Anthony Tolliver (right knee) was diagnosed with a Grade 1 sprain and will miss two to four weeks. He was hurt Sunday against New Orleans. . Coach Stan Van Gundy said there are no immediate plans to fill the team's one open roster spot. . Detroit came in holding ninth place in the Eastern Conference, 2 1/2 games behind Chicago for the final playoff spot.
Cavaliers: F Channing Frye scored two points in 9 minutes of his debut for Cleveland. ... G Iman Shumpert missed his second straight game with a sprained left shoulder. It's the same one he injured last season, when he missed six weeks. ... G Mo Williams plans to have his sore left knee examined by renowned orthopedist Dr. James Andrews in Florida on Tuesday. Williams has been bothered by the knee for two months. He hasn't played since Feb. 10, when he missed all four shots in a win over the Lakers.
UP NEXT
Pistons: Host Philadelphia on Wednesday.
Cavaliers: Host Charlotte on Wednesday.