Dean Wade and Donovan Mitchell scored 19 points apiece and the host Cleveland Cavaliers spoiled J.B. Bickerstaff’s return to the city with a 113-101 win over the Detroit Pistons on Friday night.
Jarrett Allen had 17 points and 11 rebounds, while Evan Mobley supplied 16 points, six rebounds, three assists and four steals for the Cavaliers.
Darius Garland and Ty Jerome contributed 13 points apiece.
Bickerstaff coached Cleveland to the Eastern Conference semifinals last season but was dismissed after Cleveland was eliminated from the playoffs. He was hired by Detroit over the summer.
Cade Cunningham led the Pistons with 33 points and six assists but he also committed nine of Detroit’s 22 turnovers. Jaden Ivey had 22 points and Malik Beasley scored 13 points off the bench.
The Cavaliers finished the first half on a 13-4 run to take a 65-55 halftime lead. Turnovers played a big role, as Detroit committed 13 before the break.
Allen led Cleveland with 12 first-half points, while Wade had 11. The Pistons’ starting backcourt of Cunningham and Ivey combined for 32 points but they also made eight of those turnovers.
Caris LeVert scored from in close with 4:56 left in the third quarter to give Cleveland an 81-70 lead. Tobias Harris made a 3-pointer and Cunningham scored from short range to cut the Cavaliers’ lead to six points. Ronald Holland II’s layup pulled Detroit within four points with 2:21 left in the quarter.
The Cavaliers then finished the quarter on an 8-0 run with Mitchell scoring five of those points. Mitchell also made a free throw to start the fourth quarter after Cunningham was whistled for a technical foul.
Ivey halted the Cavs’ run with a three-point play early in the fourth quarter. After Detroit pulled within eight points, Wade knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers to give his club a 105-91 lead with 6:17 remaining.
A layup by Allen and a midrange shot by Garland completed a 10-0 run to push Cleveland’s lead to 18 points. Ivey halted that run with a layup but the damage had been done.