The Pistons won against the Cavs (110-114) thanks in particular to Cade Cunningham and Daniss Jenkins.
Cade Cunningham had 27 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists, while Daniss Jenkins scored 21 of his 25 points in the second quarter, giving the Eastern Conference-leading Detroit Pistons a 114-110 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday afternoon. Donovan Mitchell scored 10 points in the fourth quarter to bring Cleveland to 108-106, but Isaiah Stewart stole the ball from him with 36 seconds remaining. Ausar Thompson then scored a basket on the other side of the court, making the score 110-106 for Detroit.
Versatile guard Jenkins then converted four free throws in the final six seconds to seal the victory for the Pistons, who were on a nine-game losing streak in Cleveland and are 2-13 against their Central Division rival in the last 15 meetings. Jenkins was flawless in shooting (7/7), three-pointers (6/6) and free throws (1/1), playing the entire 12 minutes of the second quarter. He thus contributed to the exceptional performance of Detroit, which scored 47 points, its season record, and led 66-56 at halftime.
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The Cavs very close to a comeback
The Pistons converted all 21 of their free throws, including 11 for Cunningham. Duncan Robinson added 12 points and Javonte Green 11 coming off the bench. Detroit thus signs its second victory in five games. Mitchell finished the game with 30 points (including 23 in the second half), while his teammate Darius Garland had 16 points and 6 assists. The Cavaliers’ three-game winning streak came to an end, and they have a 2-1 record at home.
Sam Merrill and Evan Mobley each scored 15 points for Cleveland, which trailed 106-93 with 4:41 left before Mitchell scored seven points in 59 seconds. Garland brought the Cavaliers back to two points with a jump shot 1:156 from time. Merrill scored nine points, including three three-pointers, to give Cleveland a 28-19 lead in the first quarter. Jenkins’ outstanding performance in the second quarter gave the Pistons the final lead.
Pistons pivot Jalen Duren (sprained right ankle), power forward Tobias Harris (sprained left hip) and fullback Caris LeVert (left knee inflammation) did not make the trip to Cleveland and are unavailable for an indefinite period. Duren, who averages 17.9 points and 10.6 rebounds, will be re-evaluated in a week, and Harris in two weeks. Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (illness) and power forward Dean Wade (left knee contusion) were removed from the game, allowing Merrill to join the starting five.
