AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) — Tobias Harris scored 21 points to help the Detroit Pistons snap a five-game losing streak by beating the Cavaliers 106-90 on Monday night while LeBron James sat out resting.
James missed his third game of the season, and Cleveland has lost all three. The Cavaliers had their five-game winning streak snapped on a night they never led.
Cleveland was playing its fifth game in seven days and coming off a thrilling win Sunday over Golden State. So James sat, and the Pistons took advantage.
Detroit scored the first eight points, led 50-44 at halftime and took control near the end of the third quarter. Harris and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope made 3-pointers early in the fourth, and the Pistons led 82-65.
Kevin Love had 17 points and 14 rebounds for Cleveland.
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The NBA says two calls were missed in the final moments of Cleveland’s win over Golden State on Sunday, and both aided the Cavaliers in what became their one-point victory.
The league said James should have been assessed a technical foul for deliberately hanging on the rim after his dunk with 1:43 remaining, and that Cavaliers forward Richard Jefferson should have been called for fouling the Warriors’ Kevin Durant on the game’s final play.
Jefferson’s feet appeared to get tangled with Durant’s on that last play. Durant tumbled to the floor, and could only manage a one-handed fling toward the basket as time expired.
Cleveland won the NBA Finals rematch 109-108.