GAME THREAD: NBA: DETROIT (10-3) at CLEVELAND (9-4)

NBA: DETROIT (10-3) at CLEVELAND (9-4)

<h3>Likely minus Hughes, Cavaliers aim to defend home court</h3>

<div class="pre">Detroit at Cleveland 8:00 pm EDT</div><div class="pre">Eastern Conference Finals Pistons lead, 2-1</div>

CLEVELAND (Ticker) -- After rebounding from two heartbreakinglosses on the road, the Cleveland Cavaliers' resiliency will betested once again.

The Cavaliers host the Detroit Pistons in Game Four of theEastern Conference Finals on Tuesday.

Larry Hughes, Cleveland's point guard and third-leading scorerduring the playoffs, is unlikely to play as he tore the plantarfascia in his left foot in Cleveland's 88-82 victory overDetroit in Game Three on Sunday. He played just seven minutesin the third quarter and not at all in the fourth.

"If the game was today, I couldn't play," Hughes said on Monday."I'll have to see tomorrow how it feels. Like I said, if I'mable to help the team in any way, I'll be out there playing."

This would mark the second consecutive year that Hughes hasmissed time in the playoffs against the Pistons, as he left theteam for four games during the conference semifinals followingthe death of his younger brother last season.

Aside from LeBron James stepping up with 32 points, ninerebounds and nine assists in Game Three, the Cavaliers benefitedfrom the play of Hughes' replacement, rookie Daniel Gibson.

A second-round pick from Texas, the 6-2 guard filled in forHughes on Sunday with nine points, including the second of histwo 3-pointers late in the fourth that seemed to turn themomentum in the favor of Cleveland for the final time.

"I think that throughout the season coach (Mike Brown) hasprepped me for that situation," Gibson said. "I've gotten a lotof minutes, so I think it's prepared me for this situationwhere if Larry can't go, I feel like I can step in and take careof business."

Gibson's most impressive contribution may have been on thedefensive end of the court, where he hounded Pistons guard - andplayoff stalwart - Chauncey Billups, who continued to strugglewith sloppy play and poor shooting. The All-Star guard scored13 points on 4-of-14 shooting Sunday.

"That's something I do when I come in the game," Gibson said."You know, on the defensive end, pick up full court, try tochange the tempo a little bit and just play as hard as I can.Get up and guard those guys and get in tune."

The play from the rookie supplemented the supporting cast forJames that the Cavaliers thought they had entering the season.Cleveland got contributions from their secondary options as themain components of his supporting cast - Zydrunas Ilgauskas,Drew Gooden and Sasha Pavlovic - combined for 41 points on17-of-33 shooting in Game Three after two-game totals of 58points and 26-of-57 shooting.

Detroit does not lack for confidence, however. The Pistons are18-0 in series they have led, 2-0, including last season'sseries that saw the Cavaliers win three straight after trailing2-0 before Detroit took Games Six and Seven.

Even though Tayshaun Prince found his shooting stroke, bouncingback from a 1-for-19 start in the series by scoring 13 points on6-for-13 on Sunday, Billups and Richard Hamilton struggled.

The Pistons' All-Star backcourt shot 6-for-22 from the field andwill need to improve that mark if they hope to avoid a seriestied at two games apiece heading back to Detroit for Game Fiveon Thursday.

 

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: Joe Forte
Mike Callahan
Dan Crawford</div>

 

NBA: DETROIT at CLEVELAND

<div class="pre">PLAYOFFS

NBA PLAYOFFS
DETROIT 0
CLEVELAND 0 11:55 LEFT, 1ST QTR</div>

 

NBA: DETROIT at CLEVELAND

<div class="pre">PLAYOFFS

NBA PLAYOFFS
DETROIT 4
CLEVELAND 6 8:41 LEFT, 1ST QTR</div>

 

NBA: DETROIT at CLEVELAND

<div class="pre">PLAYOFFS

NBA PLAYOFFS
DETROIT 8
CLEVELAND 11 5:45 LEFT, 1ST QTR</div>

 

NBA: DETROIT at CLEVELAND

<div class="pre">PLAYOFFS

NBA PLAYOFFS
DETROIT 17
CLEVELAND 17 2:45 LEFT, 1ST QTR</div>

 

NBA: DETROIT at CLEVELAND

<div class="pre">PLAYOFFS

NBA PLAYOFFS
DETROIT 22
CLEVELAND 26 END, 1ST QTR</div>

 

NBA: DETROIT at CLEVELAND

<div class="pre">PLAYOFFS

NBA END 1ST QTR 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
DETROIT 22 22
CLEVELAND 26 26 END 1ST QTR

HIGH SCORERS AFTER 1ST QUARTER

DET - CHAUNCEY BILLUPS 10, RICHARD HAMILTON 6,
TAYSHAUN PRINCE 4
CLE - DREW GOODEN 10, LEBRON JAMES 5, ZYDRUNAS
ILGAUSKAS 4</div>

 

NBA: DETROIT at CLEVELAND

<div class="pre">PLAYOFFS

NBA PLAYOFFS
DETROIT 29
CLEVELAND 32 8:50 LEFT, 2ND QTR</div>

 

NBA: DETROIT at CLEVELAND

<div class="pre">PLAYOFFS

NBA PLAYOFFS
DETROIT 31
CLEVELAND 37 5:43 LEFT, 2ND QTR</div>

 

NBA: DETROIT at CLEVELAND

<div class="pre">PLAYOFFS

NBA PLAYOFFS
DETROIT 34
CLEVELAND 45 3:00 LEFT, 2ND QTR</div>

 

NBA: DETROIT at CLEVELAND

<div class="pre">PLAYOFFS

NBA PLAYOFFS
DETROIT 43
CLEVELAND 50 HALFTIME</div>

 

NBA: DETROIT at CLEVELAND

<div class="pre">PLAYOFFS

NBA HALFTIME 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
DETROIT 22 21 43
CLEVELAND 26 24 50 HALFTIME

HIGH SCORERS AT HALFTIME

DET - CHAUNCEY BILLUPS 18, RASHEED WALLACE 7,
RICHARD HAMILTON 6
CLE - DREW GOODEN 12, LEBRON JAMES 12, DANIEL
GIBSON 11</div>

 

NBA: DETROIT at CLEVELAND

<div class="pre">PLAYOFFS

NBA PLAYOFFS
DETROIT 47
CLEVELAND 50 9:04 LEFT, 3RD QTR</div>

 

NBA: DETROIT at CLEVELAND

<div class="pre">PLAYOFFS

NBA PLAYOFFS
DETROIT 51
CLEVELAND 54 6:00 LEFT, 3RD QTR</div>

 

NBA: DETROIT at CLEVELAND

<div class="pre">PLAYOFFS

NBA PLAYOFFS
DETROIT 60
CLEVELAND 58 3:00 LEFT, 3RD QTR</div>

 

NBA: DETROIT at CLEVELAND

<div class="pre">PLAYOFFS

NBA PLAYOFFS
DETROIT 67
CLEVELAND 65 END, 3RD QTR</div>

 

NBA: DETROIT at CLEVELAND

<div class="pre">PLAYOFFS

NBA END 3RD QTR 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
DETROIT 22 21 24 67
CLEVELAND 26 24 15 65 END 3RD QTR

HIGH SCORERS AFTER 3RD QUARTER

DET - CHAUNCEY BILLUPS 22, RICHARD HAMILTON
15, TAYSHAUN PRINCE 8
CLE - DANIEL GIBSON 20, DREW GOODEN 12, LEBRON
JAMES 12</div>

 

NBA: DETROIT at CLEVELAND

<div class="pre">PLAYOFFS

NBA PLAYOFFS
DETROIT 72
CLEVELAND 71 9:00 LEFT, 4TH QTR</div>

 

NBA: DETROIT at CLEVELAND

<div class="pre">PLAYOFFS

NBA PLAYOFFS
DETROIT 77
CLEVELAND 81 6:00 LEFT, 4TH QTR</div>