NBA Notes: Cavs, James Harden, Pistons, Cade Cunningham, Bulls

Cavaliers

Sunday’s loss to the Celtics offered the Cavaliers a reminder of where they still need to go.

Boston largely controlled the afternoon in Cleveland, leaving the Cavs with a clear benchmark as they continue adjusting after acquiring James Harden.

Harden did not sugarcoat it afterward.

“That’s the standard right there,” he said. “Me being in my 10th or 11th game here, that’s the level we’ve gotta get to. Boston. Once we get there — because I know we’re good enough — then we’ll be a much better team.”

Pistons

The  Pistons are not panicking despite their roughest stretch of the season.

Detroit dropped its fourth straight game Sunday in Miami, trimming its lead atop the Eastern Conference to just 2½ games over Boston.

Coach J.B. Bickerstaff said slumps are part of the process.

“It’s the NBA,” Bickerstaff said, via Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press. “The season’s long. Everybody goes through difficult times. We just found ours right now.”

Cade Cunningham returned from a quad injury and finished with 26 points and 10 assists, but the Pistons could not stop the slide.

“Obviously, it’s probably our biggest dose of adversity all year,” Tobias Harris. “We’ll be fine. Keep our head high and move on to the next.”

Bulls

The Bulls continue to walk an unclear line between competing and rebuilding, writes Julia Poe of the Chicago Tribune.

Chicago fell to Sacramento on Sunday and has gone just 2-11 since reshaping its roster at the trade deadline, dropping to 12th place in the East.

Still, the team has not fully embraced a tanking strategy.

Coach Billy Donovan said the organization remains focused on competing.

“Everything I’ve gotten here from the front office and ownership is that we need to do the best job we can to go out there and try to win,” Donovan said. “I believe in that.”