(Sports Network) - The Central Division champion and NBA-best Cleveland Cavaliers will return to the cozy confines of Quicken Loans Arena tonight, when they play host to the rival Detroit Pistons.
The top-seeded Cavs have won six in a row overall, six straight as the host and 28 of their last 30 home games, averaging 105.2 points on .509 shooting in that time on the home floor. They just handed the Chicago Bulls a 92-85 loss in the Windy City on Friday, as superstar LeBron James pumped in 29 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists for Cleveland, which is 12-1 in its last 13 games overall and got 18 points from Mo Williams.
"We couldn't find our rhythm offensively tonight," James said one game after becoming the youngest player in NBA history to score 15,000 points (25 years, 79 days in 540 games), surpassing Kobe Bryant at 27 years, 136 days and 657 games. "We missed a lot of easy shots that we usually make. That caused them to stay in the game."
Williams is posting 16.0 points over his past five games. Delonte West and Jawad Williams each chipped in 10 points in the hard-fought victory. The Cavs hope to improve their league-best 30-4 home mark this evening. After having the best home record last season at 39-2, Cleveland is trying to hold the top home ledger in consecutive seasons for only the 14th time in NBA history.
Since the start of the 2008-09 campaign, the Cavaliers are 69-6 at home.
Detroit faces a tall task on the road Sunday and will close out a brief road trip. It has lost four in a row overall and eight straight as the guest, including Friday's 106-102 setback at Indiana's Conseco Fieldhouse.
Rodney Stuckey had a big game in his return to action, scoring 25 points off the bench. Stuckey had missed the last six games after collapsing on the bench during a March 5 game at Cleveland. Ben Gordon finished with 17 points, seven boards and six assists for the Pistons, who have dropped 11 of their past 13 contests.
"I thought we fought back with the second group that came in and we did a pretty good job at the end," Stuckey said. "(It was) defense. We just came in and tried to bother them a little bit. We just came in and played hard."
DaJuan Summers had 12 points in defeat, as Detroit dropped to 7-27 away from The Palace of Auburn Hills.
The Cavs have won the first three meetings of the 2009-10 season with Detroit and are shooting for a series sweep tonight. Cleveland has won six in a row against the Pistons, who are winless in their last three trips to the 'Q'.
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