You think you can come into the Palace, play that pussy one-on-one, and escape? Wrong!

The Pistons righted their ship after dropping four in a row (all in California) by beating Cleveland 104-99.

Detroit started strong and rode the effort to 55 first half points and a one possession game. Stan Van and Reggie Jackson looked at game film from the rough road trip, determining Jackson’s keys are to be decisive and aggressive. After 23 points and 12 assists, Van Gundy swore it was his best performance to date in a Pistons uniform.

For a stretch in the 3rd, Jackson got back to dribbling too much, essentially in a state of 1-on-1: this is also LeBron James’ weakness. There is so much more to defend if you keep moving and passing. We picked up our point guard though, going on a run down 13 to get right back in it.

Then, it came down to fourth quarter defense, where the Pistons outscored the Cavaliers 29-18 to finish them off. Cleveland looked lost on offense, too dependent on the long ball and not even utilizing MVP-candidate Kevin Love. LeBron was better off in Miami where he didn’t put all the pressure on himself.

Detroit drained so many clutch free throws in the final minutes. Hack-An-Andre: FAIL. 25 points and 18 boards equal another monster game for the drum. The Pistons determine their own fate: we’ve beaten the best, lost to the worst (Lakers) – if we play the right way, we’ll win.