Pistons 104 - 97 Cavaliers
Final
  for this game

Knight lifts Pistons over Cavs

Dec 9, 2012 - 5:49 AM Cleveland, OH (Sports Network) - Brandon Knight scored 23 of his career-high 30 points in the second half to lead the Detroit Pistons to a 104-97 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday.

Tayshaun Prince had 14 points and Rodney Stuckey and Jason Maxiell added 10 points apiece for the Pistons, who snapped a two-game skid.

"Brandon (Knight) kind of carried us on the offensive end in certain parts of the game, which was huge for us," Prince said.

Jeremy Pargo dropped in 24 points and Anderson Varejao added 16 points and 13 boards for the Cavaliers, who have dropped five straight and nine of their last 10 overall.

Charlie Villanueva's 3-pointer with six minutes left put the Pistons up 94-80, but Cleveland used a 14-5 run to pull within 99-95 with just 41.5 seconds left.

Stuckey then buried a jumper with just over 18 ticks showing, but Varejao answered back with a layup to pull within four once again. Detroit, however, scored the final three points of the game to seal the win.

"Offensively we just have to keep moving the ball a little better, be a little crisper with our passes and not turn the ball over as much," Cavaliers center Tyler Zeller said.

The Pistons led 25-22 after the first quarter. Prince poured in eight points in the period and Greg Monroe added five in the frame.

Cleveland used a 14-4 run to go up 46-36 with just under 3 1/2 minutes left in the second period, but Detroit closed the half on a 13-6 burst to go into the break down 52-49.

The Pistons shot a blistering 64.7 percent from the floor -- including a perfect 3-for-3 from behind the arc, to go up 76-70 after the third. Detroit held the Cavs 33.3 percent shooting in the frame.

Game Notes

The Pistons won for just the third time in nine tries in Cleveland ... Detroit was 9-for-15 from 3-point range.






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