GAME THREAD: NBA: DETROIT (10-2) at CLEVELAND (8-4)

NBA: DETROIT (10-2) at CLEVELAND (8-4)

<h3>Cavaliers look to repeat history in Game Three</h3>

<div class="pre">Detroit at Cleveland 8:30 pm EDT</div><div class="pre">Eastern Conference Finals Pistons lead, 2-0</div>

CLEVELAND (Ticker) -- After dropping two close games on the road,the Cleveland Cavaliers are looking forward to enjoying thecomforts of home.

The Cavaliers host the Detroit Pistons on Sunday in Game Threeof the Eastern Conference Finals.

After losing Game Two 79-76, Cleveland hopes to repeat thesuccess it enjoyed last season against Detroit in the EasternConference semifinals. Down 2-0, the Cavaliers came back homefor Game Three and ripped off three straight wins, pushingDetroit to the brink of elimination.

Cleveland is no stranger to success at home, either. They are4-1 at Quicken Loans Arena so far during the playoffs after a30-11 record at home during the regular season.

The Cavaliers are hoping the home crowd can give them the bumpthey need to get over the hump against the Pistons and theirdefense. Whether they are cutting off driving lanes or forcingtough shots from LeBron James inside the paint, the Pistons haveheld the Cavaliers to 39 percent shooting from the fieldoverall, including a 7-for-29 mark from the arc.

James, who is averaging 24 points, eight rebounds and eightassists in the playoffs, may need to do a bit more as a resultfor history to repeat itself. And sooner or later, Clevelandwill need him to knock down the big shot late that will quiethis critics.

While the Pistons have to be happy to about holding atwo-game-to-none advantage for the third time this postseason,they will likely need more contributions from Tayshaun Prince,who is 1-of-19 from the field. Because his main focus is on thedefensive end - guarding James - Detroit would like him to makeJames work harder on the defensive end.

 

NBA: DETROIT at CLEVELAND

<div class="pre">PLAYOFFS

DETROIT VS CLEVELAND - INACTIVES

DETROIT CLEVELAND

PLAYER NAME REASON PLAYER NAME REASON
R DUPREE COACH'S DECISION D WESLEY COACH'S DECISION
W BLALOCK COACH'S DECISION DW JONES COACH'S DECISION
A JOHNSON COACH'S DECISION S BROWN COACH'S DECISION</div>

 

NBA: DETROIT at CLEVELAND

<div class="pre">PLAYOFFS


DETROIT AT CLEVELAND - PROBABLE STARTING LINEUPS


DETROIT CLEVELAND

F Rasheed Wallace F Drew Gooden
F Tayshaun Prince F LeBron James
C Chris Webber C Zydrunas Ilgauskas
G Chauncey Billups G Larry Hughes
G Richard Hamilton G Aleksandar Pavlovic

OFFICIALS: Tom Washington
Dick Bavetta
Scott Foster</div>

 

NBA: DETROIT at CLEVELAND

<div class="pre">PLAYOFFS

NBA PLAYOFFS
DETROIT 2
CLEVELAND 7 8:48 LEFT, 1ST QTR</div>

 

NBA: DETROIT at CLEVELAND

<div class="pre">PLAYOFFS

NBA PLAYOFFS
DETROIT 7
CLEVELAND 11 6:00 LEFT, 1ST QTR</div>

 

NBA: DETROIT at CLEVELAND

<div class="pre">PLAYOFFS

NBA PLAYOFFS
DETROIT 13
CLEVELAND 18 2:50 LEFT, 1ST QTR</div>

 

NBA: DETROIT at CLEVELAND

<div class="pre">PLAYOFFS

NBA DETROIT AT CLEVELAND
NOTE: CLEVELAND'S LARRY HUGHES LEFT THE GAME WITH AN
INJURY TO HIS RIGHT FOOT, HIS RETURN IS
QUESTIONABLE.</div>

 

NBA: DETROIT at CLEVELAND

<div class="pre">PLAYOFFS


HIGH SCORERS AFTER 1ST QUARTER

DET - CHRIS WEBBER 9, RASHEED WALLACE 7,
CHAUNCEY BILLUPS 2
CLE - LEBRON JAMES 7, LARRY HUGHES 6,
ALEKSANDAR PAVLOVIC 5</div>

 

NBA: DETROIT at CLEVELAND

<div class="pre">PLAYOFFS

NBA PLAYOFFS
DETROIT 22
CLEVELAND 22 END, 1ST QTR</div>

 

NBA: DETROIT at CLEVELAND

<div class="pre">PLAYOFFS

NBA PLAYOFFS
DETROIT 26
CLEVELAND 27 8:54 LEFT, 2ND QTR</div>

 

NBA: DETROIT at CLEVELAND

<div class="pre">PLAYOFFS

NBA PLAYOFFS
DETROIT 37
CLEVELAND 35 5:40 LEFT, 2ND QTR</div>

 

NBA: DETROIT at CLEVELAND

<div class="pre">PLAYOFFS

NBA PLAYOFFS
DETROIT 43
CLEVELAND 42 2:50 LEFT, 2ND QTR</div>

 

NBA: DETROIT at CLEVELAND

<div class="pre">PLAYOFFS

NBA PLAYOFFS
DETROIT 43
CLEVELAND 46 HALFTIME</div>

 

NBA: DETROIT at CLEVELAND

<div class="pre">PLAYOFFS

NBA HALFTIME 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
DETROIT 22 21 43
CLEVELAND 22 24 46 HALFTIME

HIGH SCORERS AT HALFTIME

DET - CHRIS WEBBER 9, TAYSHAUN PRINCE 9,
RONALD MURRAY 8
CLE - LEBRON JAMES 19, ALEKSANDAR PAVLOVIC 8,
LARRY HUGHES 6</div>

 

NBA: DETROIT at CLEVELAND

<div class="pre">PLAYOFFS

NBA PLAYOFFS
DETROIT 45
CLEVELAND 51 8:40 LEFT, 3RD QTR</div>

 

NBA: DETROIT at CLEVELAND

<div class="pre">PLAYOFFS

NBA PLAYOFFS
DETROIT 55
CLEVELAND 55 5:35 LEFT, 3RD QTR</div>

 

NBA: DETROIT at CLEVELAND

<div class="pre">PLAYOFFS

NBA PLAYOFFS
DETROIT 57
CLEVELAND 60 2:45 LEFT, 3RD QTR</div>

 

NBA: DETROIT at CLEVELAND

<div class="pre">PLAYOFFS

NBA PLAYOFFS
DETROIT 63
CLEVELAND 62 END, 3RD QTR</div>

 

NBA: DETROIT at CLEVELAND

<div class="pre">PLAYOFFS

NBA END 3RD QTR 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
DETROIT 22 21 20 63
CLEVELAND 22 24 16 62 END 3RD QTR

HIGH SCORERS AFTER 3RD QUARTER

DET - RASHEED WALLACE 15, TAYSHAUN PRINCE 13,
CHRIS WEBBER 9
CLE - LEBRON JAMES 20, ALEKSANDAR PAVLOVIC 13,
ZYDRUNAS ILGAUSKAS 12</div>

 

NBA: DETROIT at CLEVELAND

<div class="pre">PLAYOFFS

NBA PLAYOFFS
DETROIT 66
CLEVELAND 65 8:54 LEFT, 4TH QTR</div>