Collin Sexton erupted for 32 points and the Cleveland Cavaliers spoiled the Detroit Pistons’ home opener with a 128-119 double-overtime victory on Saturday.
Andre Drummond, playing against his former team for the first time since Detroit traded him in February, supplied 23 points, 16 rebounds, five assists, four steals and three blocks. Cedi Osman contributed 22 points and Darius Garland had 21.
Jerami Grant led Detroit with 28 points and Blake Griffin had 26. Delon Wright tossed in 19 and Derrick Rose chipped in 13.
Cleveland scored 10 unanswered points in the first three minutes of the second overtime. Sexton made a pair of layups, Garland drained a 3-pointer and Kevin Love knocked down three free throws to put the game away.
Rose heated up in the first overtime. He made a layup and a 3-pointer, sandwiching a Grant dunk, to give Detroit a 109-101 lead. Grant banked in a 3 with 2:15 left to make it 112-103.
The Cavaliers came roaring back, scoring the next nine points. Drummond forced a Rose turnover, leading to a Sexton basket with 7.6 seconds left to tie it. The Pistons committed a turnover on their final possession.
Love made a 3-pointer in the opening minute of the third quarter to give Cleveland a nine-point lead.
The Cavs were still up by nine, 81-72, after a Dante Exum layup, but the Pistons closed the quarter with a 14-0 outburst.
Grant sparked it with a 3-pointer. He tied the score at 81 with a layup. Osman was called for goaltending against Svi Mykhailiuk before Grant finished it off with a 30-foot 3-pointer.
Jahlil Okafor converted a putback in the first minute of the fourth to extend Detroit’s run to 16 points. Garland hit a 3-pointer to halt it.
Wright’s 3-pointer off a Rose feed made it 101-93 with four minutes to go.
Cleveland then scored the final eight points of regulation to tie it. Drummond scored five of those points on free throws.
Sexton and Osman each scored 15 points in the first half to lead the Cavs to a 59-53 halftime lead.
–Field Level Media
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