The Detroit Pistons held on late on Tuesday to take down the Cleveland Cavaliers 111-101 and take a 1-0 series lead.
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The Cavs may have scored first, but the Pistons quickly took control of the entire first quarter. Cade Cunningham led the offense into a flow while Ausar Thompson championed a strong defense.
After 12 minutes, Detroit led 37-21.
The next three quarters were not pretty for the Pistons. Turnovers became a serious issue as long-range shooting also became more difficult.
For Cleveland, their offense wasn’t much better. They struggled in similar areas, but their efficiency saw a slight uptick in the second quarter, a trend that continued.
By halftime, Detroit still led by 13, albeit with less momentum.
That momentum continued to swing in Cleveland’s favor in the third quarter. Max Strus erupted for 10 points in seven third-quarter minutes as the Cavs dropped 30 points in the frame. With 12 minutes to go, the lead had been trimmed to seven.
The final quarter saw the Cavs make several close attempts at a comeback, but Cunningham and the Pistons made big shots down the stretch to seal the victory.
Cunningham finished the game with 23 points and seven assists and Duncan Robinson put up 19 points on 5-of-8 long-range shooting.
James Parker is a sports writer for Ball Exclusives, follow him on X @TheJames_Parker
