AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- LeBron James scored 20 points, grabbed 13 rebounds and dished out seven assists as the Cleveland Cavaliers topped the Detroit Pistons 101-91 on Friday night at the Palace of Auburn Hills.
As has been the case throughout most of this series, the game was tight throughout. The Pistons showed toughness and made several big plays in the fourth quarter, but the issue they had on Friday is the same one they've had throughout the series: They don't have a player the caliber of Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love or James. The trio combined for 66 points, 25 rebounds and 13 assists on the night.
The Cavs relied on all three max players to lead them at various points and were able to weather both Detroit's offensive balance -- all five Pistons starters scored in double figures -- and a rowdy Palace crowd that watched the first home playoff game in seven years.
Pistons star Andre Drummond was relegated to the bench for the final six minutes of the game after being intentionally fouled and missing two free throws. He was replaced by Aron Baynes. Drummond was just 1-for-6 from the line in the game.
Detroit rookie Stanley Johnson, 19, who said after Game 2 he was "definitely" in James' head, had a nice first half in scoring nine points but was a nonfactor in the second.
The Cavs have to feel extremely confident in that they've taken Detroit's best shot over the past week and keep finding ways to close games. Game 4 is Sunday night at the Palace. The Cavs lead the series 3-0.