National Basketball Association
BOXSCORE | RECAP
Detroit 104, Cleveland 97
When: 7:30 PM ET, Saturday, December 8, 2012
Where: Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
Officials: #26 Pat Fraher, #77 Karl Lane, #13 Monty McCutchen
Attendance: 16062

Pistons 104, Cavaliers 97: Brandon Knight scored 23 of his career-high 30 points in the second half as visiting Detroit beat Cleveland for the second time in six days.

Tayshaun Prince added 14 points and eight rebounds and Greg Monroe scored 11 to help Detroit snap a two-game losing streak and hand the Cavaliers their fifth consecutive defeat.

Jeremy Pargo, making his 11th straight start for an injured Kyrie Irving, scored 24 points and Anderson Varejao added 16 and 13 rebounds for Cleveland, which led by eight points midway through the third quarter.

Knight scored seven points in an 18-4 burst to put Detroit ahead for good en route to a 76-70 lead at the end of three quarters. Knight sparked another spurt in the fourth, scoring nine points in a 12-2 run to extend the lead to 88-74 with just under eight minutes to play.

The Cavaliers countered with a 9-0 run and twice got within four points before falling to their ninth loss in the last 10 games. Rookie Dion Waiters, the team's second-leading scorer, sat out his fourth straight game with a sprained ankle.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Varejao suffered a left elbow contusion in the first half but was on the floor to start the second half and wound up with his 11th double-double in 12 games. ... Monroe grabbed four rebounds, ending a streak of 112 consecutive games in which he had at least five boards. ... Cavaliers rookie Tyler Zeller had 13 points and eight rebounds off the bench, helping Cleveland to a 46-35 edge on the glass.
Top Game Performances
 
Detroit   Cleveland
Brandon Knight 30 Scoring Jeremy Pargo 24
Rodney Stuckey 6 Assists Daniel Gibson 6
Tayshaun Prince 8 Rebounds Anderson Varejao 13
Greg Monroe 7 Free Throws Made C.J. Miles 4
Andre Drummond 1 Steals Alonzo Gee 1
Andre Drummond 1 Blocks Tyler Zeller 3
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Detroit 104 46.7 9-15 25-33 17 35 5 5 9
Cleveland 97 42.9 6-27 13-17 19 46 8 3 14
Upcoming Games
  • Cleveland will play their next game at home against L.A. Lakers. The Cavaliers have a W/L % of .000 after a win and .235 after a loss.
  • Detroit will play their next game on the road against Philadelphia. The Pistons have a W/L % of .143 after a win and .400 after a loss.