Pistons halfway home, beat Cavs for 2-0 lead in Eastern semifinal

Coty M. Davis, The Detroit News on May 7, 2026

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

DETROIT — The Detroit Pistons maintained control of the game for most of the night, but the situation changed at the start of the fourth quarter. The Cleveland Cavaliers began the quarter with a 6-0 run, ultimately taking an 81-79 lead by the 10:19 mark of the period.

As "Let's Go Pistons" chants began to fill Little Caesars Arena, the Pistons regained their composure and embarked on a run of their own to take an 86-83 lead, which was ignited by Duncan Robinson and Tobias Harris, who finished with 21 and 17 points, respectively. Robinson accounted for five of the Pistons' 14 made 3-point field goals.

The momentum shifted in favor of the Pistons due to a run by Harris and Robinson. However, Cade Cunningham played a crucial role in the final five minutes, scoring 14 of his 25 points. The strong fourth-quarter rally propelled the Pistons to a 107-97 victory over the Cavaliers in Game 2. As the series now shifts to Cleveland for Games 3 and 4, the Pistons lead the best-of-seven series 2-0.

Donovan Mitchell led the Cavaliers with 31 points, 16 coming in the second half. Jarrett Allen had a bounce-back performance compared to Game 1, adding 22 points and seven rebounds. Despite trying to get to the foul line more, James Harden had a rough night, finishing on 3-of-12 shooting for 10 points to go along with four turnovers. Harden's most costly giveaway came during the final seconds of the fourth quarter as a result of Ausar Thompson's defense.