CAVS (11-4) 98, DETROIT PISTONS (5-10) 88
at The Palace of Auburn Hills, Mich.

WHAT HAPPENED: Things got a bit hot under the collar for the Cavs in the fourth quarter, but F LeBron James closed it out.

G Mo Williams didn't shoot it extremely well (5 of 13), but he finished with 14 points and eight assists.

James and Williams combined for 15 assists. The Pistons had just 12 as a team.

Of course, when your starting PG Rodney Stuckey didn't have an assist, that's not a good thing. He looks for his own shot too much to be a pure PG.

STRUGGLES AHEAD?: The Pistons might really stumble in the next week or so. G Ben Gordon sprained his ankle in the game and will likely miss some time. He came into the game averaging 20 points a game.

NOTES: The Cavs allowed 16 offensive rebounds, 7 in the fourth quarter.

-- They did hold the Pistons to 39 percent shooting from the floor.

-- G Will Bynum was 1 of 13 from the field on Wednesday.

-- Former Cavs F/C Ben Wallace is now the starting center for the Pistons.

He said he hung out in Cleveland for most of the summer working on his back. He quit lifting heavy weights and it helped.

Wallace said before he signed with the Pistons, his back felt better than it has in four years.

TERRIBLE ORDEAL: The cable that unlatched my trunk broke when I got to The Palace of Auburn Hills. The trunk contained my computer bag, as well as George Thomas' from the Akron Beacon Journal.

AAA wouldn't come out. Two locksmiths I called didn't answer. Finally, a guy from the Palace lent me a hammer and a screwdriver. I pounded the hell out of my trunk lock to no avail.

Finally, I tried going in through the backseat and got in. Nice start to the night for me.

OFFICIALS: Dan Crawford, Kevin Fehr, Leon Wood

INACTIVES: Cavs - Shaquille O'Neal, Leon Powe, Coby Karl
Pistons - Tayshaun Prince, Rip Hamilton