NBA: Cade Cunningham propels Pistons past Cavs for 2-0 edge

Cade Cunningham delivered a standout performance on Thursday, scoring 25 points and dishing out 10 assists, including 12 points in the fourth quarter, as the Detroit Pistons defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 107-97 to take a 2-0 lead in their Eastern Conference semifinal series.

“Cade is just fabulous,” Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “He’s the killer, the closer, all the adjectives you want to talk about. He’s it. In the fourth quarter, he does his best work.”

Tobias Harris added 21 points, Duncan Robinson contributed 17, and Daniss Jenkins finished with 14 for Detroit, which also won Game 1 by 10 points on Tuesday in the best-of-seven series. Harris, who did not score 20 or more points in consecutive games during the 2025-26 regular season, has now reached that mark in seven straight playoff games.

“It’s the understanding of what the moment calls for, and that’s what this group is finding,” Bickerstaff said. “It’s not always a shot. Sometimes it’s rebounds, deflections, steals, or executing pick-and-roll coverage. It’s about recognizing the moment and delivering.”

Donovan Mitchell led the Cavaliers with 31 points, while Jarrett Allen added 22 points and seven rebounds. Cleveland struggled from beyond the arc, making just 7 of 32 three-point attempts (21.9 percent).

Game 3 is scheduled for Saturday afternoon in Cleveland.

The Cavaliers briefly took control early in the fourth quarter, opening the period with a 3-of-5 shooting stretch to take an 81-79 lead—its first since the opening basket of the game. However, Detroit quickly responded with a 10-2 run, capped by a Robinson three-pointer, to regain momentum.

Cleveland, which missed all 11 of its three-point attempts in the final quarter, never got closer than three points as Cunningham helped the Pistons close out the win.

Turnovers continued to plague the Cavaliers. After committing 20 in Game 1, Cleveland again struggled early, as Detroit’s physical defense disrupted its rhythm. The Pistons used an 11-3 run late in the first quarter to build an 11-point lead, highlighted by a Jenkins basket, and led 25-18 after one period.

“Another not a great start for that starting group,” Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said. “We have to look at everything. We tried to adjust coverages and be more aggressive, but we’re still searching for the right formula to start games.”

Cleveland briefly cut into the deficit in the second quarter behind Mitchell, but Detroit maintained control and extended its lead to as many as 14 points. The Pistons went into halftime ahead 54-43.

The Cavaliers mounted a strong push in the third quarter, tightening their defense and finding offensive rhythm. Mitchell scored 11 points in the period, helping Cleveland trim the deficit to one at 76-75 late in the quarter. But Jenkins answered with a deep 30-foot three-pointer at the buzzer to give Detroit a 79-75 lead entering the fourth.

“I think we found some things tonight that give us positive feelings going into Game 3,” Atkinson said. “There were a lot of positives in that second half.”

Cleveland played without veteran guard Sam Merrill, who missed the game due to a left hamstring injury. Detroit was also short-handed, as Kevin Huerter sat out his fifth straight game with a left adductor strain. -Field Level Media/Reuters