=== Wounded Cavaliers host Pistons aiming to snap slide ===
 
 (Sports Network) - The Cleveland Cavaliers have been without their talented
 young backcourt for the past three games and have yet to win over that span.
 
 The Cavs' current four-game slide includes a loss to the Detroit Pistons and
 they'll try to avenge that setback on Saturday night with a rematch in
 Cleveland.
 
 Cleveland has lost eight of its last nine games and Friday night's 91-73 loss
 to the hosting Minnesota Timberwolves was its 10th in a row without guard
 Kyrie Irving, the top pick of the 2011 draft. Irving is out with a broken left
 index finger and his loss has been compounded by the fact that fellow guard
 Dion Waiters, selected fourth overall in the year's draft, has missed the
 past three games with a sprained left ankle and is unlikely to play Saturday.
 
 Waiters last played in a one-point double-overtime loss against Portland on
 Dec. 1 and his string of missed games began two nights later in Detroit. The
 Cavs were defeated 89-79 in that game, their third loss in a row against the
 Pistons.
 
 Cleveland has won six of its last eight at home versus Detroit and will try to
 shake off Saturday's loss in Minnesota. Alonzo Gee paced the Cavaliers with 16
 points and C.J. Miles added 13.
 
 "(The Timberwolves) played pretty good defense, but right now we just seem to
 be hesitating on shots that we do have open at times. We're just not playing
 with a whole lot of confidence right now," Cavaliers coach Byron Scott said.
 
 Anderson Varejao had 14 rebounds, but failed to record a double-double for the
 first time in 11 games after being held to just four points in more than 33
 minutes of action.
 
 Varejao will try to rebound tonight and follow the blueprint laid out by
 Chicago's Joakim Noah, who had 30 points and 23 rebounds in Friday night's
 108-104 win over Detroit.
 
 Rodney Stuckey had 24 points and seven assists, while Brandon Knight netted 21
 points as the Pistons lost for the fourth time in five games despite leading
 by 17 at one point in the first half.
 
 "I don't think the leads get into it, but I think our guys went down with it,"
 said Pistons coach Lawrence Frank. "That being said, you come out of the third
 quarter and it's who is going to turn up the intensity first and we kept on
 trading blows, but they kept on delivering more body blows than we could."
 
 Knight paced the Pistons offense in the earlier win over the Cavs, logging 17
 points, five rebounds and five assists.
 
 Varejao had 17 points and 18 boards for the Cavs.
 
 12/08 10:43:22 ET

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