NBA Game Recap - Cleveland at Detroit
Mon Jan 27, 2020 7:00 PM EST

CLE
115
DET
100
F
ORL
92
MIA
113
F
DAL
107
OKC
97
F
SAC
133
MIN
129
F(OT)
SA
109
CHI
110
F
HOU
126
UTA
117
F

Cleveland 115, Detroit 100

Jan 27, 2020, 7:00 PM EST

Final

1

2

3

4

T

Cleveland

24

29

36

26

115

Detroit

23

22

27

28

100

Love's big first half lifts Cavaliers past Pistons 115-100
Mon Jan 27, 2020 11:44 PM

DETROIT (AP) Before his team took the court, Cavaliers star Kevin Love spent some of his day looking back at Kobe Bryant's life and career.

"I watched his short film, I watched all of his highlights, I watched his interviews," Love said. "I have videos on my phone, from the Olympics, from All-Star Games, where they're intimate and behind-the-scenes type of stuff."

Love was an Olympic teammate of Bryant's and played college basketball in Los Angeles at UCLA, so it felt fitting when he made six 3-pointers in the first half Monday night during Cleveland's 115-100 win over the Detroit Pistons. The Cavaliers snapped a seven-game losing streak.

It was the first game for either team since Bryant's death Sunday in a helicopter crash. The teams honored Bryant's two uniform numbers when Cleveland committed a 24-second shot clock violation after the opening tip, and the Pistons gave the ball back with an 8-second violation in the backcourt. Fans observed 24 seconds of silence in Bryant's honor before the game.

Cleveland scored 24 points in the first quarter, and Love finished with just over 24 minutes played. Larry Nance Jr. - a teammate of Bryant's with the Lakers - scored 10 points for Cleveland in just under 24 minutes.

"Sometimes, it just happens that way," Love said. "Feels like sometimes it should, if you just go out there and do right by the game of basketball, like Kobe would have wanted."

It was the third meeting this month between the Pistons and Cavaliers. They split a home-and-home series Jan. 7 and 9 in a pair of tightly contested games. This one wasn't nearly as close. Cleveland led 53-45 at halftime.

Love scored all 20 of his points in the first half and did not even need to attempt a shot in the final 24 minutes. It was 89-72 after three quarters. Cleveland had not won by double digits since a 108-87 victory at New York on Nov. 10.

"We talk about, you know, Kobe this, Kobe that," Pistons coach Dwane Casey said. "Believe me, rest his soul, he would be embarrassed how we, our non-compete level."

Collin Sexton had 23 points for the Cavaliers and Tristan Thompson added 17 points and 11 rebounds. Reggie Jackson led Detroit with 16 points.

"It's tough," Pistons guard Langston Galloway said. "Knowing what Kobe stands for and what he embodies, that's what everybody in this locker room kind of grew up on. Kobe is an icon, a legend."

SERIES

The Pistons and Cavaliers have finished their four-game season series. The road team won every game.

"I don't know. It's something we should think about," Cleveland coach John Beilein said. "Everybody should think about their home-game routines and things like that, and make sure that there's not something getting in the way, distracting them."

INJURIES

The Pistons have been without Blake Griffin (left knee surgery) and were also missing Tony Snell (illness), Derrick Rose (right knee soreness) and Luke Kennard (bilateral knee tendinitis) in this game.

Brandon Knight (left knee soreness) did not play for the Cavaliers.

TIP-INS

Cavaliers: Alfonzo McKinnie scored 15 points. ... Cleveland outscored Detroit 64-42 in the paint.

Pistons: Andre Drummond had 15 points and Svi Mykhailiuk added 13.

UP NEXT

Cavaliers: Host New Orleans on Tuesday night.

Pistons: At Brooklyn on Wednesday night.

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Follow Noah Trister at https://twitter.com/noahtrister

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More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP-Sports

Leaders

Cleveland PTS +/- AST REB ST BLK
C. Sexton 23 10 5 3 0 0
K. Love 20 18 2 7 0 0
Detroit PTS +/- AST REB ST BLK
R. Jackson 16 -15 2 2 1 0
A. Drummond 15 -18 4 8 3 2

Team Comparison

CLE DET
Points For 115 100
Field Goals 48/96-50% 38/84-45%
Three Pointers 9/24-38% 12/35-34%
Free Throws 10/13-77% 12/17-71%
Offensive Rebounds 11 9
Defensive Rebounds 34 28
Rebounds 54 48
Blocks 6 7
Steals 9 8
Turnovers 13 17
Points Scored Off Turnovers 15 11
Points in the Paint 64 42
Fast Break Points 9 6
Personal Fouls 21 20
Technical Fouls 0 0
Flagrant Fouls 0 0
Ejections 0 0

2019-20 Reg Season - Series Tied 2-2

Date Result Away Pts Ldr Home Pts Ldr
Tue Dec 3 DET 127 @ CLE 94 B. Griffin 24 C. Sexton 22
Tue Jan 7 DET 115 @ CLE 113 D. Rose 24 K. Love 30
Thu Jan 9 CLE 115 @ DET 112 T. Thompson 35 A. Drummond 28
Mon Jan 27 CLE 115 @ DET 100 C. Sexton 23 R. Jackson 16

Game Information

Stadium: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, Michigan
Attendance: 12,597
Game Time: 2:6