Instant Reaction: Cleveland Cavaliers 97, Detroit Pistons 96

Mar 26, 2014; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Dion Waiters (3) and referee Bennett Salvatore (15) during the first quarter against the Detroit Pistons at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

Final Outcome

The Cavaliers started tonight’s game versus the Detroit Pistons very sluggish, falling behind early 21-7. They looked like they did not want to even be on the floor early on. It took them until about seven minutes left in the game to finally turn on their engines, and it was about time. They roared back in those final seven minutes, ultimately winning on a Dion Waiters’ game-winning jumper from the right corner, 97-96.

Key Play of the Game

It would easy to go with Dion’s buzzer beater, but I am going to go with the defensive effort put forth by Matthew Dellavedova on the Piston’s final possession. The score was 96-95 with the Cavs down one. There was a four second difference between the game and shot clock, meaning the Cavs didn’t have to foul. Many would have advised them to do so; nevertheless, they did not foul and Mike Brown trusted in his team to defend. Delly clamped down on Brandon Jennings and forced him to take a 14-foot fall away jumper, which he missed. Luol Deng was able to secure the rebound with just under four seconds left on the game clock. Delly’s lockdown defense allowed the Cavs to not have to go for a three on their final possession. His efforts kept the Piston’s lead at one point and allowed Dion’s two-point jump shot to be good enough to win.

Wine & Gold MVP

There were a few Cavaliers who stunk tonight, and mainly Spencer Hawes comes to mind under that category. There were a few Cavaliers who were decent tonight, and mainly Tristan Thompson and Jarrett Jack come to mind. But there was one Cavalier who was great tonight, and that was Matthew Dellavedova. I talked about his defense above, but he also did it on the offensive side as well. He led the team with a career high 21 points and six helpers. He also shot 5 of 7 from downtown, which is not normally his strong suit. He competed on every possession tonight, never letting the Pistons have a break. Whether it was diving for loose balls or splashing treys, he did it all for the Wine & Gold tonight. It was a great effort from Delly all game long.

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Up Next

Following tonight’s win versus Detroit, the Cavaliers will travel to Brooklyn to face off against the Nets on Friday. Brooklyn, as it sits now, currently holds onto the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference. Last time when the two teams squared off on January 4, the Wine & Gold lost by seven, 89-82. Tipoff on Friday in the House That Mikhail Prokhorov Built is set for 7:30 p.m.