Detroit Pistons Secure Victory Over Cleveland Cavaliers
The Detroit Pistons have finally exorcised a 17-year postseason demon. Behind a stellar 23-point performance from Cade Cunningham and 20 points from Tobias Harris, the top-seeded Pistons defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 111-101 on Tuesday night to take Game 1 of their second-round playoff series.
The victory ended an agonising NBA record-tying 12-game playoff losing streak against a single opponent. Detroit’s postseason drought against Cleveland had stretched all the way back to the 2007 Eastern Conference finals.
Capitalising on mistakes
Duncan Robinson contributed 19 points for Detroit as they aggressively targeted Cleveland’s star-studded backcourt. The Pistons’ defensive intensity forced 20 turnovers throughout the night, which they ruthlessly converted into 31 points.
For the fourth-seeded Cavaliers, James Harden took full responsibility for his team’s sloppy ball-handling. Despite scoring 22 points he committed seven turnovers.
Donovan Mitchell led the Cavaliers with 23 points but fell short of extending his own NBA record of scoring 30 or more points in nine consecutive series openers. Max Strus added 19 points to keep Cleveland in the fight while centre Jarrett Allen was heavily neutralised. Coming off a monster 22-point and 19-rebound showing against Toronto in the previous round, Allen was held to just two points and three rebounds.
A fourth-quarter finish
Both teams entered the matchup exhausted after surviving gruelling seven-game series just two days prior. Detroit capitalised on home-court advantage early to build a 37-31 lead after the first quarter and stretched their advantage to 59-46 by half-time.
However the cushion quickly evaporated. Cleveland relentlessly chipped away at the deficit, which had peaked at 18 points. A buzzer-beating three-pointer from Ron Holland at the end of the third quarter gave the Pistons an 83-76 buffer but the Cavaliers refused to back down.
Playing his first game against Detroit since joining Cleveland, Harden erupted for seven unanswered points to level the score at 93-all with just five and a half minutes remaining.
Just as the momentum seemed to shift, Detroit’s Jalen Duren delivered the defining sequence of the match. The young centre decisively blocked a shot from Harden before slamming home three consecutive dunks, all brilliantly assisted by Cunningham, to secure the victory.
A rivalry renewed
The matchup adds another layer to a fascinating divisional rivalry. Detroit claimed the Central Division crown this year finishing eight games ahead of the defending champion Cavaliers.
It has been a remarkable turnaround for the Pistons. Just two years after enduring a disastrous 68-loss season that included an NBA-record 28 consecutive defeats, they racked up 60 wins to claim the top seed in the East. They reached the second round for the first time since 2008 by overcoming a 3-1 deficit against Orlando.
Meanwhile the Cavaliers survived a brutal seven-game battle with Toronto to reach this stage for the third consecutive year. Adding a compelling subplot to the series, that impressive run began under the guidance of head coach J.B. Bickerstaff. He was dismissed by Cleveland and hired by Detroit just a month later.
The two teams will clash again for Game 2 in Detroit on Thursday night.
