Cleveland — Pistons coach Dwane Casey was well aware of the inclination. He cautioned his players about overlooking the struggling Cleveland Cavaliers, who were already eliminated from the playoff picture and seemingly don’t have much to play for.
Add in that the Pistons were resting Blake Griffin and the Cavs sitting Kevin Love and the danger turned into looking past the Cavaliers, to the western trip starting on Thursday.
Casey’s words came to fruition, as the Cavaliers stayed close in the first three quarters and kicked into another gear in the final minutes, taking a 126-119 victory on Monday night at Quicken Loans Arena.