DETROIT — The Cleveland Cavaliers are one of two teams with three All-Stars — and two of them were on the bench in sweatsuits Friday night.

No problem. That’s the value of having three.

Despite being shorthanded and undermanned, the Cavaliers powered past the Pistons, 112-88. It’s Cleveland’s seventh straight win — the longest streak since 2017-18, when the franchise won 13 in a row.

Center Jarrett Allen, named a first-time All-Star during a breakout 2021-22 campaign, sent a loud reminder about his sometimes-overlooked stature Friday night. Responding to Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff’s pregame challenge, Allen bludgeoned the undersized Pistons throughout the game and helped set the tone at both ends of the floor. During a dominant second quarter in which the Cavs scored 16 of the first 18 points, outscored the Pistons 33-18 and took control of the game, Allen poured in 14 points while making all seven of his shot attempts.

He finished the first half with 17 points — one shy of the highest scoring half of his career.

But Allen was just getting started. He scored Cleveland’s first two buckets of the third quarter — and the Cavs cruised to victory, pushing the lead to 30 at one point.

Allen finished with a game-high 23 points on 11 of 16 shooting to go with seven rebounds, two blocks and one steal in 31 minutes.

While the All-Star center led the way, Friday’s win was a total team effort. Just the way Bickerstaff prefers. Six players in double figures. Showing the depth that gives Cleveland, top to bottom, one of the league’s best rosters.

Kevin Love, the future Hall of Famer and stabilizing sixth man who has repeatedly sacrificed for the betterment of the team, fell two rebounds shy of his fourth career triple-double — all of which came during the 2013-14 season with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Love, who did not play in the final eight and a half minutes Friday night, settled for a double-double, scoring 21 points, dishing 10 assists and grabbing eight rebounds in 23 brilliant minutes off the bench. It’s Love’s fourth career point-assist double-double.

Caris LeVert, who started at point guard in place of injured Darius Garland (knee sprain), added 15 points, six rebounds and six assists. Cedi Osman chipped in with 15 points and six assists. Evan Mobley, taken two picks behind Detroit’s Cade Cunningham in the 2021 NBA Draft, finished with 11 points, eight rebounds, two assists and a career-high eight blocks.

Veteran backup Raul Neto, who missed Wednesday’s game because of a sprained ankle, had his best game as a Cavalier. One of the team’s offseason signings, the scrappy Neto tallied 10 points, five assists, five rebounds and two steals in 24 minutes.

Cunningham led the way for the overmatched Pistons with 19 points.

The Cavs have a well-established motto that Bickerstaff created last season: The strength of the team is the team.

Never was that more evident than Friday — a night they didn’t have their two best players, Garland and Mitchell, and still opened the longest road trip of the season with a decisive triumph.

Up next

The Cavs will continue their road trip against the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday afternoon. Tipoff is set for 3:30 p.m.