Garland scores 29 points asCavaliers beat Pistons 110-100

Without Donovan Mitchell, the Cavs picked up a win vs. the Pistons.

Without Donovan Mitchell and Caris LeVert, the Cleveland Cavaliers got back in the win column with a 110-100 win over the Detroit Pistons on Friday night.

Nightly Notables

Darius Garland led the way for the Cavs, scoring 29 points on 9-21 shooting, highlighted by an 8-12 mark from three. Garland did most of his damage in the second quarter, erupting for 18 points — all from three — in a quarter Cleveland won 31-24.

Evan Mobley has a strong performance of his own, finishing with 22 points, 17 rebounds, 7 assists and 2 blocks. He, notably, also was 8-11 from the line.

Max Strus (14 points), Isaac Okoro (12 points) and Sam Merill (12 points) also finished in double figures.

Well...that happened

The defining element of the Cavaliers’ win was their three-point shooting. After taking 54 three-points in a double overtime against the Chicago Bulls earlier this week, the Cavs took 41 against the Pistons. They made 18 vs. just 10 makes for the Pistons.

This version of the Cavs is the version of the team that racked up win after win after win before the All-Star break. Garland letting threes fly (12 of his 21 shots came from three), Merrill getting 25 minutes and Okoro and Strus combining for 12 threes on the wing is a big deal. More threes = a more dangerous Cavs team.

Big Picture

A win against the lowly Pistons is a necessary win as the race for the No. 2 seed in the East continues. The Cavs have two games in hand, but are in a neck-and-neck race with the Milwaukee Bucks. Every win is going to matter. Wins that come with Mitchell on the sideline are nice too, as Cleveland just isn’t the same team when Mitchell is out of the lineup.

Up next: A big week of Cavs basketball kicks off on Sunday when Cleveland hosts the New York Knicks. Tipoff is at 7 p.m.