CLEVELAND — The Cavaliers and current coach Kenny Atkinson face former Cavs coach JB Bickerstaff and the Detroit Pistons, who hold the East’s best record and would be in line for the No. 1 seed in the playoffs if the season ended today.

The Cavs are coming off of a win against the Denver Nuggets, albeit one in which Atkinson criticized the offense’s performance. The Cavs, who are still trying to hit their stride in an injury-riddled season, are chasing several teams in their race to improve their standing in the East, a list that is topped by the Pistons.

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Follow along here for live score updates, analysis and highlights from the Cavs-Pistons game. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m.

Daniss Jenkins pours in 21 points, Pistons lead Cavs by 10 at halftime

Daniss Jenkins had an absolutely incredible second quarter, pouring in 21 points on a perfect 6-for-6 from 3-point range and leading the Pistons to a 66-56 lead at halftime.

The Cavs’ positive defensive first quarter led way to a disastrous second quarter in which the Pistons scored 47 points.

For the Cavs, Darius Garland has 12 points on 5-for-9 shooting from the floor. Sam Merrill also has 12 points, all on 3-pointers.

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Pistons’ 3-point barrage grabs lead against Cavs

The Cavs’ offense with a bench-led lineup fell apart at the same time as the Pistons’ 3-point shooting became red shot, and Detroit has used that stretch to grab a 56-49 lead with 1:39 left in the first half.

Detroit’s on an 8-2 run. They’ve shot 7-for-9 from 3-point range in the second quarter.

The Cavs offense, meanwhile, has become sloppy. A lineup that consisted of Darius Garland and four players off the bench looked out of sorts, and it cost Cleveland their lead. That lack of bench production and consistency has been one of the biggest differences between the Cavs of last season and this year.

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Ausar Thompson, Thomas Bryant both down after collision

Late in the third quarter, Thomas Bryant of the Cavaliers and Ausar Thompson of the Pistons both went down to the floor, the result of a collision in which both players were holding their faces. Bryant got up after a few moments and is staying in the game, but Thompson remained down for another minute or two and is exiting the game.

Pistons cut into Cavs lead with offensive rebounds

The Pistons have opened the second quarter on an 11-5 run, with much of it fueled by a string of offensive rebounds. Already today, Detroit has 10 offensive boards, allowing them to chip away at the Cavs’ lead, which now stands at 33-30.

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A 3 by Daniss Jenkins led to a quick timeout by Kenny Atkinson, not happy with the Cavs’ rebounding.

Cavs, Pistons score: Cavaliers lead after first quarter

The Cavs opened today’s game with a strong defensive effort in the first quarter, holding the Pistons under 20 points. Cleveland will take a 28-19 lead into the second quarter.

The Pistons shot just 7-for-26 in the first quarter. They were 3-for-15 from 3-point range. The Cavs also blocked four shots in the quarter, two by Evan Mobley.

Cavaliers lead Pistons early; Sam Merrill, Cade Cunningham leading scorers

The Cavs own a 25-17 lead with three minutes left in the third quarter.

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Sam Merrill, who was questionable for the game, is the game’s early leading scorer with nine points. He’s 3-for-4 from 3-point range. For the Pistons, Cade Cunningham already has eight points.

Nae’Qwan Tomlin also had a productive 90 seconds after checking into the game, grabbing two rebounds, blocking a shot and getting a put-back layup to fall after a missed 3.

Below is some pregame information.

Cavs injury report vs Pistons; Several Cavaliers remain questionable

Three Cavaliers regulars are questionable heading into the Jan. 4 matchup against Pistons, including center Jarrett Allen (illness), guard Sam Merrill (ankle) and forward Dean Wade (knee). Merrill and Wade are both “pretty banged up” according to Atkinson.

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Cavaliers unveil city edition uniforms

The Cavs unveiled their new City Edition uniforms Nov. 11.

How can I watch/stream/listen to the Cavs vs Pistons game?

The Jan. 4 Cavs-Pistons game can be watched on the FanDuel Sports Network — Ohio. It can heard on the radio on 100.7 WMMS, 1100 WTAM and S: LA MEGA 1300.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: cleveland-cavaliers-score-today-vs-detroit-pistons-game-updates