After Cleveland’s 118-108 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers two nights ago, the four-time reigning NBA All-Star relayed this message during his postgame press conference.“I feel like the easy thing to point to is, ‘Oh, the Cavs are winning because of Donovan.’ That’s not the case. I think that’s the easy thing for people to say who don’t watch us play. You look at [it], on a night-to-night basis. Sam Merrill, been phenomenal. Craig Porter [Jr.], been phenomenal. Jarrett Allen, Isaac Okoro. It’s not just myself. It’s not just [Darius Garland], it’s not just [Evan Mobley].”

When he was traded to the Wine and Gold just before the start of last season, Mitchell immediately took on a leadership role.

He put this role into action this past Monday night by giving his teammates the recognition he feels they deserve.“There’s so many guys that make up what we’ve been able to do. And I think for me, it’s important as a leader because I feel like [a lot of people listen to] what I say, and I think it’s something that’ll get talked about. And I think they deserve to be talked about. They’ve put the work in, they put the time in, and they’re showing it on a consistent basis.”

Following a shocking Sunday afternoon home victory, the Detroit Pistons are back on the road on Wednesday as they face the Cleveland Cavaliers at the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse. The Pistons will attempt to win their second consecutive game for the first time since their home opener on Oct. 28.

Several days ago at Little Caesars Arena, the Pistons took down the then top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder 120-104. Oklahoma’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 31 points, but his performance wasn’t enough to withstand Detroit’s Jalen Duren, Bojan Bogdanovic, and Jaden Ivey.

Duren had a spectacular game, finishing with 22 points, 21 rebounds, six assists, and one block. Ivey struggled with his shot in this game, shooting 7-for-20 from the floor, but he still ended with 19 points while grabbing eight rebounds and kicking out six assists.

On Tuesday, the NBA added the pair of second-year players to this season’s Rising Stars game that will be played during NBA All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis, Ind. Bogdanovic finished with 17 points.

The Pistons are winners in three of their last seven games, an astonishing feat considering the way their season has gone. Interestingly enough, those wins have all come with Cade Cunningham on the sidelines, as he’s nursing a left knee strain. As of the Wednesday morning injury report at 10:30 a.m., Cunningham is listed as probable against Cleveland. Forward Isaiah Stewart (left ankle sprain) is listed as out.

Also on the injury report were Cleveland’s Jarrett Allen (illness) and Darius Garland (jaw fracture). Both are listed as questionable.

This game will mark the third of four meetings between the teams this season, with the Pistons losing the previous two on Nov. 17 and Dec. 2. Cleveland is currently on a roll, boasting a 9-1 record in the last 10 games. Leading scorer Donovan Mitchell has been on a tear this season, averaging 27.7 points, 6.3 assists, 5.3 rebounds, and nearly two steals per game. In Cleveland’s most recent win, a 118-108 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers, Mitchell finished with a double, scoring 28 points while having 12 assists.