The Detroit Pistons continued their impressive playoff run Thursday night, defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers 107-97 in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals to grab a 2-0 series advantage.
Detroit controlled much of the contest despite inconsistent shooting from both sides. Cade Cunningham once again led Detroit, finishing with 25 points and 10 assists while delivering several clutch plays late in the fourth quarter. Tobias Harris added 21 points, and Duncan Robinson chipped in 17 while knocking down five shots from beyond the arc.
Cleveland briefly surged ahead early in the final quarter after trailing most of the game, with Evan Mobley giving the Cavaliers their first lead since the opening basket. Donovan Mitchell kept Cleveland alive with a game-high 31 points, but the comeback faded as Detroit responded with timely three-pointers and strong defense down the stretch. Cunningham helped seal the win in the final seconds by calmly knocking down free throws as the Pistons closed out the 10-point victory.
James Harden endured another difficult outing for Cleveland, scoring just 10 points on 3-of-13 shooting while committing four turnovers. Through the first two games of the series, Harden has struggled badly from the field and beyond the arc. Jarrett Allen contributed 22 points and seven rebounds, while Mobley finished with nine points and only one rebound.
The game also featured tense moments between Harden and Pistons forward Ausar Thompson. After multiple on-court confrontations, Thompson picked up early fouls and spent significant time on the bench, but returned late in the game to make several key defensive plays, including forcing a turnover from Harden in the closing minutes.
Now facing a 2-0 deficit in the best-of-seven series, the Cavaliers head back to Cleveland needing a strong response in Game 3 on Saturday at Rocket Arena.
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