Depleted Cavs shock Pistons

LOS ANGELES (AFP) — The Cleveland Cavaliers shrugged off to the injury absence of star point guard Donovan Mitchell to score a 113-109 upset of the Eastern Conference-leading Detroit Pistons on Tuesday.

Jaylon Tyson scored 22 points while James Harden and Evan Mobley finished with 18 points apiece to give the Cavs an impressive victory before their home fans.

A hard-fought encounter saw Cleveland take the lead early in the second quarter, and dogged defense combined with consistent defense kept them in front for the remainder of the game.

“It’s a good win, not perfect by any means, but we’ll take it,” Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said afterwards.

Jalen Duren led Detroit’s scorers with 24 points but it was a frustrating night for Pistons star Cade Cunningham, who was restricted to just 10 points by Cleveland’s relentless defense.