Kyrie Irving leads Cavs in first-round sweep over Pistons
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – Kyrie Irving bookended the third quarter with 10 points in 79 seconds at the start and a halfcourt buzzer-beater at the end. Next he delivered a punishing three-pointer with 42.6 seconds in the game
The Cleveland Cavaliers shot-maker extraordinaire punctuated an outstanding series with a game-high 31 points – tying his playoff career-best – as the Cavaliers eliminated the Detroit Pistons from the Eastern Conference playoffs with a 100-98 victory in Game 4 sweep on Sunday.
His final three-pointer late in the fourth quarter put Cleveland ahead 100-96, and Pistons guard Reggie Jackson’s game-winning three-point attempt at the buzzer was short.
"It was a total team effort. I thought our guys withstood their run and weathered the storm," Cavs coach Tyronn Lue said. "Overall, I thought our guys did a great job. It was a physical series. It was a great series, and they tested us."
Against the Pistons, Irving averaged 27.5 points and shot 47.1% from the field, including 47.1% on three-pointers.
Irving led a LeBron James team in scoring in a playoff series for the first time since the 2011 NBA Finals and just the second time in James’ 34 career playoff series.
But it just wasn’t Irving. James had 22 points, 11 rebounds and six assists, and J.R. Smith scored 15 points, including a key three-pointer as the shot clock expired with 4:51 left in the fourth quarter, giving Cleveland a 95-86 lead.
Kevin Love fought through a rough shooting game (3-for-15), scoring 11 points and collecting 13 rebounds. He had a double-double in every game in the series.
The Pistons pushed the Cavs in three of the four games. By Game 4 for the Pistons, the lessons learned from the first three games against the Cavs yielded improved late-game execution.
"It was a pretty competitive series for a sweep," Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy said. "Our guys competed hard. Hopefully what they learned from it (and) what I said to them after the game, is the value of every possession in the game. ... It's our guys first time throught it. That's what I hope they get out of it."
The Pistons trailed 97-96 and 100-98 late in the fourth but did not have the talent or experience to pull out a win. It might be there next season. "We do have to get better," Van Gundy said.
Said Lue: "They have a great team, and they put you in some tough situations with their personnel."
Cleveland had just enough late-game execution to hold the Pistons. But it should only get tougher from here for the Cavs, who will play the winner of the Boston-Atlanta series in the conference semifinals.