Cavs aim to extend Central Division lead vs. Pistons

Central Division rivals clash Sunday when the Cleveland Cavaliers make the short trek to the Motor City and take on the Detroit Pistons at The Palace of Auburn Hills. The Central-leading Cavs haven't won a division title since the 1975-76 season but have opened up an imposing 11-game lead over the second-place Pistons. The Cavaliers improved to 22-0 as the host this season on Friday with a 112-95 win over the hapless LA Clippers, matching a franchise record for consecutive home wins, which the club first set in the 1988-89 campaign



Cleveland Cavaliers (36-9) at Detroit Pistons (25-20), 2:30 p.m.

- Central Division rivals clash Sunday when the Cleveland Cavaliers make the short trek to the Motor City and take on the Detroit Pistons at The Palace of Auburn Hills.

The Central-leading Cavs haven't won a division title since the 1975-76 season but have opened up an imposing 11-game lead over the second-place Pistons.

The Cavaliers improved to 22-0 as the host this season on Friday with a 112-95 win over the hapless LA Clippers, matching a franchise record for consecutive home wins, which the club first set in the 1988-89 campaign.

Zydrunas Ilgauskas had 20 points and 11 rebounds in his return to the court in the win. Ilgauskas had missed the last 13 games because of a small fracture in his left ankle, but was sharp in his first game back, making 10-of-16 field goals.

LeBron James had a team-high 25 points to go with seven rebounds and six assists for the Cavaliers, who are the first team to win at least its first 22 home games in a season since the Chicago Bulls (37 games) and the Orlando Magic (33 games) accomplished the feat in the 1995-96 season.

Cleveland is the also first team since the 1966-67 Philadelphia 76ers (22 games) to win 22 straight home games to begin a season, each by a margin of at least four points.
Things have been a bit tougher on the road for the Cavs however, as the team has a more mundane 14-9 mark as the visitor on the year.

Mo Williams, fresh off an All-Star snub, added 23 points and six assists against the Clips, while Sasha Pavlovic and Wally Szczerbiak each scored 15 in the victory, the Cavs' fifth in six games.
The Pistons, meanwhile, lost for the third time in four tries Friday when Boston's Kevin Garnett had 22 points and eight rebounds, as the Celtics edged Detroit, 86-78, to extend their winning streak to 10 games.

Allen Iverson scored 19 points for Detroit, moving up the all-time NBA scoring leaders list. He had 23,749 career points coming into Friday's contest, but needed only nine to move past Charles Barkley (23,757) into 16th place.

Rodney Stuckey also had 19 points, while Antonio McDyess grabbed 14 rebounds for the Pistons, who fell to 13-10 as the host on the year.
Detroit has won three straight and five of its past six meetings with the Cavs, including a 96-89 win at The Palace in November.


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