On Monday night, the Cavaliers spent most of four quarters climbing up a hill. They simply didn’t have enough left in the tank to get over the top.
Cleveland dug itself a 23-point hole in the first quarter, worked all the way back to take the lead midway through the fourth quarter, but couldn’t cap the rally in the closing moments, dropping the 109-105 decision on Monday night in Motown.
Playing without many of their regulars – including their leading scorer, Jerami Grant – the shorthanded Pistons still came out on a mission, with rookie Saddiq Bey canning all six of his three-pointers in that fateful first period.