The Detroit Pistons held off a second-half comeback attempt by the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday, securing a 107-97 win and taking a 2-0 series lead.
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Thursday’s battle was a tale of two halves and the first belonged to the Pistons. In the same way as numerous other teams this postseason, the Cavs came out cold from three-point range and struggled to protect the ball.
Detroit’s offense wasn’t perfect, but it operated more smoothly and carved out a seven-point lead after 12 minutes.
The second quarter was a similar story, but to a lesser degree. The Cavaliers struggled with the same issues, although they managed to put up more points.
Unfortunately for Cleveland, the Pistons also improved on the offensive end. Detroit sank 52% of their shot attempts and 50% of their long-range shots in the second.
By halftime, the Pistons led by 11.
The third quarter was a much-needed momentum shift for the Cavaliers. They didn’t record a single turnover in the third frame while shooting 55% from the floor and 57% from deep.
Donovan Mitchell finally found a rhythm with 11 third-quarter points. Cade Cunningham and the Pistons slowed down at the same time, allowing the lead to shrink to four by the start of the final quarter.
The final 12 minutes were a back-and-forth battle defined by hustle plays and communication. The efficiency number dipped for both teams down the stretch, so each rebound, foul call and loose ball had the opportunity to shift momentum.
Mitchell continued to keep the Cavs afloat in clutch time, but reliable free throw shooting allowed the Pistons to pull ahead by six with less than three minutes to go.
That’s when Cunningham hit a tough step-back three to extend the advantage to nine. He took control with – points in the fourth quarter alone.
Another defensive stop by Detroit led to an Ausar Thompson putback on the other end, effectively sealing the victory.
Cunningham led the way with 25 points and 10 assists as Tobias Harris finished with 21 points and seven rebounds.
For the Cavs, Mitchell finished with 31 points and six rebounds while Jarrett Allen had 22 points and seven rebounds.
James Parker is a sports writer for Ball Exclusives, follow him on X @TheJames_Parker
