CLEVELAND -- — Jaylon Tyson scored 22 points, James Harden added 18 and the Cleveland Cavaliers avenged a recent loss in Detroit by beating the East-leading Pistons 113-109 on Tuesday night despite playing without injured star Donovan Mitchell.

Evan Mobley also had 18 points and Dennis Schroder 15 for the Cavs, who split their four regular-season games with Detroit.

Mitchell sat out his fourth straight game with a nagging groin strain. Coach Kenny Atkinson said the seven-time All-Star is “trending better” but doesn't know when he'll be back to build chemistry for the postseason with Harden, who was acquired at the trade deadline.

Jalen Duren added 24 points and 14 rebounds and Tobias Harris scored 19 points — all after halftime — for the Pistons, who had their road winning streak stopped at six games. Cade Cunningham dished out 14 assists but scored only 10 on 4-of-16 shooting for Detroit.

The Pistons cut an 11-point deficit to one in the fourth, but Sam Merrill hit a big 3-pointer to help the Cavs hang on.

While it was the last meeting between Detroit and Cleveland before the playoffs, their rivalry has been reborn with both teams in Eastern Conference title contention.

Following the Cavs' overtime road loss last week, an unnamed Cleveland player chirped the Pistons “are not in our class."

Detroit coach J.B. Bickerstaff, who was fired by the Cavs in 2024, dismissed the bravado before Tuesday's game.

“If you mean it,” he said, “you don't say it anonymously.”

Cleveland center Jarrett Allen, who has been having one of the best stretches of his career, suffered a knee injury in the third quarter and didn't return. When asked about his condition on his way out of Rocket Arena, Allen said: “I'll be all right.”

Detroit's Isaiah Stewart returned from a seven-game league suspension and played 22 minutes.

Up next

Pistons: At San Antonio on Thursday.

Cavaliers: Host Boston on Sunday.

------

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

Play By Play

Recent plays and game events

TIME	PLAY
12:00	Jalen Duren vs. Jarrett Allen (James Harden gains possession)	0	0
11:42	James Harden bad pass turnover (Cade Cunningham steals)	0	0
11:37	Tobias Harris misses 25-foot running jump shot	0	0
11:33	Evan Mobley defensive rebound	0	0
11:17	Jaylon Tyson misses 27-foot three point jumper	0	0
11:15	Cade Cunningham defensive rebound	0	0
11:08	Cade Cunningham misses driving layup	0	0
11:06	Evan Mobley defensive rebound	0	0
11:03	Jaylon Tyson makes running layup (Evan Mobley assists)	2	0
10:49	Evan Mobley shooting foul	2	0
10:49	Jalen Duren misses free throw 1 of 2	2	0
10:49	Pistons offensive team rebound	2	0
10:49	Jalen Duren makes free throw 2 of 2	2	1
10:36	Jarrett Allen makes 4-foot hook shot (Evan Mobley assists)	4	1
10:25	Jarrett Allen shooting foul	4	1
10:25	Jalen Duren misses free throw 1 of 2	4	1
10:25	Pistons offensive team rebound	4	1
10:25	Jalen Duren makes free throw 2 of 2	4	2
10:14	Sam Merrill misses 26-foot three point jumper	4	2
10:12	Cavaliers offensive team rebound	4	2
10:12	Jalen Duren loose ball foul	4	2
9:58	Evan Mobley makes driving layup	6	2
9:40	Tobias Harris misses 11-foot pullup jump shot	6	2
9:38	Jarrett Allen defensive rebound	6	2
9:31	James Harden makes 25-foot three point step back jumpshot	9	2
9:30	Pistons Full timeout	9	2
9:06	Tobias Harris misses driving floating jump shot	9	2
9:06	Cavaliers defensive team rebound	9	2
8:52	Jarrett Allen misses 4-foot two point shot	9	2
8:49	Tobias Harris defensive rebound	9	2
8:35	Cade Cunningham makes 10-foot fade away jump shot	9	4
8:16	Sam Merrill misses 26-foot three point pullup jump shot	9	4
8:12	Tobias Harris defensive rebound	9	4
8:09	Jaylon Tyson blocks Cade Cunningham 's 2-foot running layup	9	4
8:05	James Harden defensive rebound	9	4
8:01	Jaylon Tyson makes 7-foot floating jump shot (Evan Mobley assists)	11	4
7:40	Jalen Duren makes 1-foot layup (Duncan Robinson assists)	11	6
7:32	Ausar Thompson personal foul	11	6
7:26	Evan Mobley misses 25-foot three point jumper	11	6
7:23	Pistons defensive team rebound	11	6
7:13	Jarrett Allen personal foul	11	6
7:13	Keon Ellis enters the game for Jaylon Tyson	11	6
7:01	Duncan Robinson makes 26-foot three point jumper (Cade Cunningham assists)	11	9
6:46	James Harden misses 26-foot three point step back jumpshot	11	9
6:42	Cade Cunningham defensive rebound	11	9
6:40	Jalen Duren makes 2-foot running dunk (Cade Cunningham assists)	11	11
6:24	Jalen Duren shooting foul	11	11
6:24	Evan Mobley makes free throw 1 of 2	12	11
6:24	Dennis Schroder enters the game for Sam Merrill	12	11
6:24	Isaiah Stewart enters the game for Jalen Duren	12	11
6:24	Evan Mobley makes free throw 2 of 2	13	11
6:10	Cade Cunningham makes 18-foot fade away jump shot	13	13
5:52	James Harden misses 22-foot step back jumpshot	13	13
5:47	Ausar Thompson defensive rebound	13	13
5:44	Cade Cunningham misses 25-foot running jump shot	13	13
5:40	Dennis Schroder defensive rebound	13	13
5:35	Ausar Thompson personal foul	13	13
5:35	Craig Porter Jr. enters the game for Evan Mobley	13	13
5:35	Ronald Holland II enters the game for Tobias Harris	13	13
5:22	Jarrett Allen makes 8-foot floating jump shot (Craig Porter Jr. assists)	15	13
5:01	Ausar Thompson makes alley oop layup (Cade Cunningham assists)	15	15
4:48	James Harden makes 8-foot driving floating jump shot (Dennis Schroder assists)	17	15
4:35	Isaiah Stewart misses 4-foot two point shot	17	15
4:34	Craig Porter Jr. defensive rebound	17	15
4:23	Craig Porter Jr. misses driving floating jump shot	17	15
4:19	Cade Cunningham defensive rebound	17	15
4:10	Cade Cunningham misses driving floating jump shot	17	15
4:06	Craig Porter Jr. defensive rebound	17	15
3:48	Craig Porter Jr. misses 25-foot three point jumper	17	15
3:46	Ronald Holland II defensive rebound	17	15
3:30	Ronald Holland II bad pass turnover (Keon Ellis steals)	17	15
3:25	Keon Ellis makes running layup (James Harden assists)	19	15
3:02	Cade Cunningham makes 10-foot fade away jump shot (Duncan Robinson assists)	19	17
2:49	James Harden makes 12-foot fade away jump shot	21	17
2:40	Dennis Schroder shooting foul	21	17
2:40	Cavaliers Full timeout	21	17
2:40	Thomas Bryant enters the game for James Harden	21	17
2:40	Jaylon Tyson enters the game for Jarrett Allen	21	17
2:40	Tobias Harris enters the game for Cade Cunningham	21	17
2:40	Daniss Jenkins enters the game for Duncan Robinson	21	17
2:40	Ausar Thompson makes free throw 1 of 2	21	18
2:40	Ausar Thompson misses free throw 2 of 2	21	18
2:37	Keon Ellis defensive rebound	21	18
2:23	Thomas Bryant misses 26-foot three point jumper	21	18
2:19	Ausar Thompson defensive rebound	21	18
2:09	Ronald Holland II makes 24-foot jump bank shot (Ausar Thompson assists)	21	21
1:52	Jaylon Tyson misses 24-foot three point jumper	21	21
1:48	Ausar Thompson defensive rebound	21	21
1:31	Tobias Harris misses 10-foot turnaround jump shot	21	21
1:28	Dennis Schroder defensive rebound	21	21
1:21	Daniss Jenkins personal foul	21	21
1:21	Keon Ellis makes free throw 1 of 2	22	21
1:21	Caris LeVert enters the game for Ausar Thompson	22	21
1:21	Keon Ellis makes free throw 2 of 2	23	21
57.3	Daniss Jenkins makes 24-foot three point step back jumpshot (Isaiah Stewart assists)	23	24
34.7	Jaylon Tyson makes driving layup (Keon Ellis assists)	25	24
34.7	Isaiah Stewart shooting foul	25	24
34.7	Jaylon Tyson misses free throw 1 of 1	25	24
31.6	Ronald Holland II defensive rebound	25	24
15.5	Ronald Holland II makes 25-foot three point jumper (Caris LeVert assists)	25	27
0.0	Craig Porter Jr. misses 23-foot three point jumper	25	27
0.0	Cavaliers offensive team rebound	25	27
0.0	End of the 1st Quarter	25	27

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Game Information

Time, Location & Referees

Venue

Rocket Arena

Cleveland, OH

Date & Time

12:00 AM, March 4, 2026

Coverage

FanDuel SN DET, FanDuel SN OH, NBA League Pass

Attendance

19,432

Referees

Pat Fraher, Karl Lane, Ashley Moyer-Gleich

2025-26 Central Standings

TEAM	W	L	PCT	STRK
Detroit	45	16	.738	L2
Cleveland	39	24	.619	W2
Milwaukee	26	35	.426	L4
Chicago	26	37	.413	W1
Indiana	15	48	.238	L8

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Jalen Tyson, James Harden lead Cavs past Pistons 113-109 without injured star Donovan Mitchell

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