3* - Detroit Pistons (-2?)
In this game, we have the luxury of comparing two teams who played each other thirty hours earlier than tonight?s tip-off and it does not take a very close look to see which team was the better in yesterday?s match-up. The Cavaliers did not score 70 points Sunday until there was 1:28 remaining in the game as the Piston?s Ben Wallace terrorized Cleveland on his way to racking up 11 points, 19 rebounds, five blocks and four steals.
Tayshaun Prince shadowed LeBron all night and was successful in holding him to 22 points and seven assists. Along the way, James was roughed up by getting whacked on the wrist by Wallace and kicked in the leg by Prince but it was Zydrunas Ilgauskas who had a gash opened up on his forehead by an elbow from Sheed that required five stitches.
James was not the only Cavs starter who was off at The Palace. Cleveland coach Mike Brown will bench Sasha Pavlovic for tonight?s game as he managed just four points in the last three games after scoring a career high 21 points on February 21st. Ronald Murry will likely get the start in place of Pavlovic and he is averaging just 9.8 points in 23 minutes per game this season. To make matters worse, Damon Jones has attempted just nine shots in his last 102 minutes on the court so his average is down to 7.1 points per game.
I just don?t see LeBron and the Cavs figuring out how to beat the Pistons overnight, particularly when they are allowing an average of 101.8 points over their last five games and Detroit has allowed only 81.2 points per game over the same time.
In this game, we have the luxury of comparing two teams who played each other thirty hours earlier than tonight?s tip-off and it does not take a very close look to see which team was the better in yesterday?s match-up. The Cavaliers did not score 70 points Sunday until there was 1:28 remaining in the game as the Piston?s Ben Wallace terrorized Cleveland on his way to racking up 11 points, 19 rebounds, five blocks and four steals.
Tayshaun Prince shadowed LeBron all night and was successful in holding him to 22 points and seven assists. Along the way, James was roughed up by getting whacked on the wrist by Wallace and kicked in the leg by Prince but it was Zydrunas Ilgauskas who had a gash opened up on his forehead by an elbow from Sheed that required five stitches.
James was not the only Cavs starter who was off at The Palace. Cleveland coach Mike Brown will bench Sasha Pavlovic for tonight?s game as he managed just four points in the last three games after scoring a career high 21 points on February 21st. Ronald Murry will likely get the start in place of Pavlovic and he is averaging just 9.8 points in 23 minutes per game this season. To make matters worse, Damon Jones has attempted just nine shots in his last 102 minutes on the court so his average is down to 7.1 points per game.
I just don?t see LeBron and the Cavs figuring out how to beat the Pistons overnight, particularly when they are allowing an average of 101.8 points over their last five games and Detroit has allowed only 81.2 points per game over the same time.
