Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Detroit Pistons Predictions, Picks and Preview – 2016 NBA Playoffs – Eastern Conference First Round Game Three – April 22, 2016
The Cleveland Cavaliers really mean business. LeBron James and company, who are fresh off a demolition job of the Detroit Pistons in Game 2, looks to move one win away from advancing into the second round of the playoffs this Friday. That’s when this series shifts to The Palace of Auburn Hills, a memorable place for James. Read on for more about this game. You can also check out our breakdown of Spurs vs. Grizzlies.
Two down, two to go. The Cavaliers beat Detroit on Wednesday 107-90 to snare their second straight victory in the first round. The Cavs now hope that the good times keep on rolling in Auburn Palace, where Cleveland Is 5-1 SU and 4-2 ATS in its last six games there.
Cleveland’s key to success in Game 3, however, stretches beyond location preference. For the Cavs, it has been their lethal shooting and a heavy dose of LeBron James that’s driving Detroit nuts. Cleveland shot 20-for-38 from beyond the arc in Game 2 and made 50.0 percent of its shots overall. James led all scorers on Wednesday with 27 points on 12-for-18 shooting to go with six rebounds, three assists, and three steals. There’s really no one from Detroit who have effectively bottled up James so expect the four-time MVP to continue stuffing the stat sheet. But it’s not like James is the only one functioning for the Cavs. He’s been getting a big hand from the likes of Kevin Love, Kyrie Irving, and J.R. Smith.
Love has done a fantastic job of pulling away Detroit big man Andre Drummond from the paint, as he’s hit seven total threes on the series. Irving is averaging 26.5 points so far in the first round, while J.R. Smith showed the good side of being J.R. Smith by knocking down seven three-pointers and finishing with 21 points in Game 2.
The Pistons are still searching for answers against Cleveland in the playoffs. Their loss on Wednesday was Detroit’s 10th-straight loss to the Cavs in postseason play. Hopefully, a game in Auburn Hills this Friday can cure the Pistons’ malady versus Cleveland. The Pistons are 7-3-1 SU and 5-4-1 ATS in their last 10 home games.
The Pistons are in dire need for firepower in this series, as they’re averaging just 95.5 points so far in the first round. But before they can dream of getting more chances at the basket, the Pistons must find a way to consistently win the rebounding battle. Detroit was second in the regular season with 46.3 rebounds per game, but is currently trailing Cleveland thus far this series in total rebounds, 88-83.
Andre Drummond scored 20 points in Game 2 but hauled down just seven rebounds, far from his season average of 14.8 RPG.
Drummond has to better than that, as Detroit doesn’t have other dependable big men roaming the paint. Reggie Jackson needs to step up following a 17-point performance in Game 3 to offset the production of his counterpart, Kyrie Irving. Jackson
One positive from Game 2 the Pistons can build on moving forward was the 48 points they scored in the paint as against Cleveland’s 30. While the Cavs didn’t really need to go inside with their torrid shooting, the Pistons showing they can bully their way inside serves as a reminder that Detroit has a legitimate source of offense against Cleveland.
