Cavs get back to business vs. Pistons

The Cleveland Cavaliers had very little time to celebrate before getting back to business.

Their thrilling 109-108 victory over Golden State on Christmas Day could only be savored a few short hours before they headed to Detroit to face the Pistons on Monday night.

It wouldn't be surprising if the Cavs, who have won five straight, are emotionally and physically spent. They rallied from a 14-point deficit in the fourth quarter against their fiercest rival while using only eight players.

Coach Tyronn Lue said he would talk to LeBron James and Kyrie Irving on the plane ride and then decide Monday morning whether to sit either of his biggest stars. James hinted he would play during his postgame availability.

"I haven't even started to think about tomorrow, to be honest," he said. "I'm about to head back home and continue to celebrate Christmas, but when that time comes we'll lock back in."

James played 40 minutes while racking up 31 points and 13 rebounds. Irving was on the court for 44 minutes, providing 25 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. His fallaway jumper with 3.4 seconds left completed the comeback.

"We got a ways before we even start considering the carryover (to the postseason) or anything like that," Irving said. "It's just a Christmas Day game. Another classic with a great team. It's exciting. It's just all respect when we go out there and play. It's just high-level players making high-level plays."

Lue likes what he's seeing from his 23-6 team.

"We're playing good basketball, we're playing team basketball, making the right plays, the right passes and our defense has really picked up," he said. "We're playing well defensively and when we do that we're able to get out in transition and get our open threes and get to the basket and things like that."

An emotional letdown by the Cavs might just be what the last-place Pistons (14-18) need to end their five-game skid. They shot 50.6 percent from the field and forced 23 turnovers but still lost to the Warriors, 119-113, on Friday.

Coach Stan Van Gundy made a lineup change, replacing Tobias Harris with Jon Leuer at power forward. That stoked Harris' emotional fire, as he scored a season-high 26 points in 32 minutes off the bench.

"Obviously, we're at a point where things weren't really jelling the right way and shakeups like that happen," Harris said. "You can't hang your head for however many games until somebody feels sorry for you. You just have to keep pushing and keep being ready. That's what it's about -- being ready for the team."

The way Van Gundy uses his forward rotation of Leuer, Harris, Marcus Morris and perhaps Stanley Johnson could turn into a game-by-game decision until the team starts winning.

"Right now, we clearly haven't got a settled rotation where we can count on solid play throughout the game, game to game," Van Gundy said. "We don't have that right now. So, going to probably be a little back and forth and trying to figure it out. The answer is still all of those guys need to play better."

They also need point guard Reggie Jackson to elevate his performance level. The team is 3-7 since Jackson returned to action from knee tendinitis.

Detroit got swept by Cleveland in the opening round of the playoffs last season and has dropped five of its last home games to the Cavaliers. Cleveland overpowered the Pistons in the first meeting this season, leading 56-39 at halftime en route to a 104-81 victory on Nov. 18 at Quicken Loans Arena. Irving led the way with 25 points and 11 assists.