NBA: Cavaliers defeated the Pistons, 94-82

CLEVELAND -- The Detroit Pistons couldn't contain LeBron James again. And this time, they didn't stop his teammates until it was too late.

James, showing no regard for a defensive plan Detroit spent three days preparing for him, scored 29 points and Mo Williams added 21 as the Cleveland Cavaliers withstood a stirring comeback for a 94-82 win on Tuesday night to open a 2-0 lead over the Pistons in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Delonte West scored 20 and Zydrunas Ilgauskas scored 12 for the top-seeded Cavs, who built a 29-point lead in the fourth but lost their edge and let the Pistons get within seven in the closing minutes before finally putting Detroit away. Richard Hamilton scored 17 and Rodney Stuckey 4 for the Pistons.

Holding a steady 15-point lead in the third, the Cavs pushed it to 64-46 on a 3-pointer by Williams.

James, who scored 38 points in the opener, then got behind Detroit's defense for a breakaway dunk. As he approached the basket, James rose in the lane and circled the ball in front of him before rocking it through the rim. He strutted back on defense as 20,562 fans began to celebrate what appeared to be another Quicken Loans Arena rout.

But down 79-50 in the first minute of the fourth, the Pistons reserves got Detroit back in it.

They beat Cleveland's backups to loose balls, and before long, a seemingly insurmountable lead by the Cavaliers was gone in a 27-5 run.

After McDyess' basket made it 84-77, James, West and Williams each made two free throws apiece to put Cleveland ahead 90-77.

James then grabbed a rebound, and in one motion fired a pass down the floor to Williams, whose layup officially ended the Pistons' rally.

Detroit coach Michael Curry wanted his team to be more aggressive with James. The plan was to run defenders at him on the perimeter to keep Cleveland's star from getting into the foul lane, where he destroyed Detroit in Game 1 with short jumpers, layups and easy baskets.

It worked, but only a little.

James took only two shots inside the paint in the first half, but he was able to draw fouls and finished with 16 points -- 6 on free throws -- as the Cavs opened a 46-32 lead following a ragged 24 minutes, which included pushing, shoving and three technical fouls. The Pistons double teamed James the moment he touched the ball as Hamilton and McDyess pinned him into the left corner. But James was able to pass over the top of Detroit's defense to West on the opposite side. The Cavs swung the ball around to Williams, who knocked down his first jumper and the Cavs started 6-of-7 from the floor to take a quick 12-2 lead. Cleveland cooled off, and with James sitting, the Pistons were able to pull within 30-21. The Cavs were up by 13 when James returned, and Detroit quickly welcomed him back with a mugging in the lane as McDyess, Arron Afflalo and Amir Johnson all made contact with James, who took exception to Johnson raking him across the face.

Notes:

• The Cavaliers took a 2-0 lead despite the Pistons cutting a 29-point lead to as little as seven points in the fourth quarter.

• Detroit's loss snapped its streak of nine straight wins in Game 2's of playoff series (second-longest such streak in playoff history).

• LeBron James led the Cavaliers with 29 points, 13 rebounds and six assists. James has scored 20-plus points in 43 of his 48 career playoff games. James has had 13-plus rebounds four times in his playoff career and three of those games have come against the Pistons.