NBA: Tyson leads Cavaliers in Mitchell's absence, guides team to win over Pistons

The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Detroit Pistons 113-109 on Tuesday, fueled by an outstanding performance from Jaylon Tyson, who had 22 points and four assists at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

The duel, which could be repeated in a hypothetical playoff crossover, showed the Cavaliers' ability to take a lead of up to 11 points and, above all, to close out the game in the final moments, something they had failed to do in the previous clash between the two teams.

"It's a very important win," commented Evan Mobley, "We still have a long way to go, but this is a good start and we must continue to improve throughout the season."

Mobley dominated the paint and was decisive down the stretch as Cleveland lost Jarrett Allen, forced to leave the game after taking a blow to the knee.

James Harden had a discreet shooting performance, hitting only 29% of his shots (5 of 17), although he contributed seven assists and five rebounds.

On the Detroit side, which came in with seven wins in its last eight games, Jalen Duren led the offense with 24 points, while Cade Cunningham secured a double-double of 10 points and 14 assists.

Despite the stumble, the Pistons remain atop the Eastern Conference with a 45-15 record, retaining a four-and-a-half-game lead over the Boston Celtics (41-20).

Knicks tighten the fight in the Eastern Conference

The New York Knicks picked up their 40th win of the season with a 111-95 victory over the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena.

The result, coupled with Detroit's loss, allows the New York side to cut the deficit to six games in the fight for the Eastern Conference lead.

All of New York's starters finished in double figures, although the offensive weight fell to Jalen Brunson, who ended the night with 26 points.

"Everything starts with defense," Brunson noted. "Things are easier when the opponent scores less than 100 points; they play with a lot of speed and are very aggressive."

The Knicks' defensive performance has been decisive, holding opponents under 100 points in 11 of their last 19 games.

Karl-Anthony Towns was again outstanding with another double-double of 21 points and 13 rebounds, while Jose Alvarado added five assists in 17 minutes of action.