National Basketball Association
BOXSCORE | RECAP
Detroit 116, Cleveland 77
When: 7:30 PM ET, Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Where: The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan
Officials: #54 Nick Buchert, #7 Kevin Fehr, #22 Bill Spooner
Attendance: 11595

PISTONS 116, CAVALIERS 77: Brandon Knight scored a career-high 28 points on 11-of-12 shooting and Detroit hammered Cleveland for its biggest win this season.

Knight made his first six shots and added seven assists. His first miss was on a 3-pointer midway through the third quarter, but by then the Pistons’ lead was 75-38.

Knight’s dunk just before the third-quarter buzzer extended the lead to 100-50, the largest of the game.

The Pistons scored the first 16 points of the third quarter to turn a 23-point halftime lead into a 77-38 rout before a 3-pointer from Anthony Parker finally broke the Cavs’ drought 4 1/2 minutes into the quarter.

Tristan Thompson had 12 points and 13 rebounds and Omri Casspi had 11 points for the Cavs, who have lost 14 of their last 17. The 39-point loss matches their worst this season.

Tayshaun Prince had 15 points and little-used Charlie Villanueva had 10 points and eight rebounds for the Pistons, who won for just the second time in their last seven games.

GAME NOTEBOOK
: Small forward Alonzo Gee was a late scratch from the Cavs’ starting lineup with a sprained ankle. … Rookie Kyrie Irving endured his most strenuous day since being shut down with a sprained right shoulder and could return for Wednesday’s home game against the 76ers. … The Pistons’ franchise record for largest margin of victory is 52 points.
Top Game Performances
 
Cleveland   Detroit
Manny Harris 18 Scoring Brandon Knight 28
Donald Sloan 4 Assists Brandon Knight 7
Tristan Thompson 13 Rebounds Greg Monroe 13
Samardo Samuels 4 Free Throws Made Greg Monroe 4
Omri Casspi 3 Steals Greg Monroe 4
Omri Casspi 1 Blocks Ben Wallace 3
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Cleveland 77 34.6 7-21 16-21 13 34 2 5 19
Detroit 116 60.0 8-18 18-20 28 41 10 12 14
Upcoming Games
  • Detroit will play their next game on the road against Atlanta. The Pistons have a W/L % of .478 after a win and .316 after a loss.
  • Cleveland will play their next game at home against Philadelphia. The Cavaliers have a W/L % of .200 after a win and .400 after a loss.