CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Cavs are running on fumes.

After wrapping up a grueling 10-day, five-game West Coast road trip, they barely had time to catch their breath before diving back into the chaos.

A 6 a.m. landing on Wednesday, a quick recalibration to Eastern time, a battle against the Spurs on Thursday, and then a flight after the game to Detroit for a clash with the Pistons at Little Caesars Arena on Friday. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. Eastern.

It’s the kind of relentless schedule that tests every ounce of a team’s endurance, forcing players to dig deep with just nine games left in the regular season.

“First four days out west, we were there, we were in the air three days out of the four,” Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson said before Thursday’s matchup with San Antonio. “So it’s just part of it. You’ve got to, we’re really preaching to the guys, get your rest, get your recovery, take care of your bodies as well as you can. It sounds corny, sounds like I’m like their dad, but that’s really the reality of this when you’re in a stretch like this.”

The Cavs, sitting at 59-14, have more than just fatigue to manage — they have a top seed to lock up. Their magic number sits at five, meaning a strong finish would guarantee home-court advantage throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs.

But the Pistons, currently fifth, have plenty at stake too.

With the Bucks nipping at their heels in sixth and the Pacers clinging to the fourth seed just two games ahead, Detroit is fighting to maintain its position and set up what they hope will be a first-round series against Indiana. A potential showdown with Cleveland in the Eastern Conference semifinals also looms.

Detroit, however, won’t be at full strength.

Cade Cunningham, the heartbeat of the offense, remains sidelined with a left calf contusion, while Jaden Ivey is out with a fibula fracture. Without a true secondary creator, the Pistons will lean on their 3-point shooting — one of the league’s top 10 over the past 10 games — and a defense anchored by a familiar face: J.B. Bickerstaff.

Bickerstaff’s fingerprints are all over this Pistons team. His defensive philosophies, the same ones that helped shape the Cavs into a top-tier unit, are now fueling Detroit’s rise.

The matchup between Bickerstaff’s defensive style and Atkinson’s offensive mindset adds another wrinkle to what has quietly become a budding rivalry, one that could explode if these teams meet in the playoffs.

Before that can happen, one final matchup of the regular season.

The Cavs are riding a 12-game winning streak over the Pistons. But in their last meeting at Little Caesars Arena, it took a Darius Garland near-halfcourt heave to salvage an ugly fourth quarter for the Cavs and to keep the streak against Detroit alive.

Friday’s game will be a battle of willpower.

For the Cavs, it’s about gutting through exhaustion and extending their hold on the East’s top spot.

For the Pistons, it’s a chance to prove they can go toe-to-toe with an elite contender, even without their franchise player.

And for both teams, it’s a glimpse of what could be waiting just a few weeks down the road when the stakes are at their highest.

How to watch the Cavs: See how to watch the Cavs games with this handy game-by-game TV schedule.

Here’s what to know about the matchup:

Who: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Detroit Pistons

Series: Final matchup of the regular season.

Where: Little Caesars Arena

When: 7 p.m. ET.

The point spread: Cavs minus-6.5; O/U 230.5

TV: FanDuel Sports Network – Ohio

Injury Report

CAVS:

Out:

Emoni Bates (two-way); Luke Traves (two-way); Nae’Qwan Tomlin (two-way).

PISTONS:

Out:

Cade Cunningham (calf); Jaden Ivey (fibula); Ron Harper Jr. (two-way); Tolu Smith (two-way).