Pistons take 2-0 series lead over Cavs thanks to defense and 3-point shooting: Takeaways

Atlantic76ersCelticsKnicksNetsRaptorsCentralBucksBullsCavaliersPacersPistonsSoutheastHawksHeatHornetsMagicWizardsSouthwestGrizzliesMavericksPelicansRocketsSpursNorthwestJazzNuggetsThunderTimberwolvesTrail BlazersPacificClippersKingsLakersSunsWarriorsScores & ScheduleStandingsThe Bounce NewsletterNBA DraftPodcastsFantasyNBA OddsNBA PicksLatest Mock DraftWhat Makes Up Championship DNA?Player Poll: Who is the MVP?Player Poll: Who Will Win Title?NBA Playoffs Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham had 25 points in Game 2 against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Gregory Shamus / Getty Images Share article1The Detroit Pistons are headed to Cleveland with a commanding 2-0 series lead after taking down the Cleveland Cavaliers 107-97 Thursday night at Little Caesars Arena. Cade Cunningham once again set the tone for Detroit, leading the team with a 25-point double-double while dishing 10 assists. Tobias Harris also delivered a huge performance with 21 points and seven rebounds. Detroit continues to thrive when Duncan Robinson gets going offensively, improving to 41-6 when he scores 12 or more points. Robinson knocked down 5 of his 9 attempts from deep and finished with 17 points. The Cavaliers did everything they could in Game 2, but their struggles from beyond the arc (22 percent) and inability to come up with timely stops ultimately cost them down the stretch. Donovan Mitchell did everything he could to keep Cleveland in it, finishing with 31 points and six rebounds. James Harden, however, had a difficult night offensively, shooting just 3 for 13 from the field for 10 points. Evan Mobley was also held well below his season average of 18.2 points, ending the night with only nine. The series heads to Cleveland for Game 3, where the Cavaliers will look to feed off their home crowd and get back into the series beginning Saturday. Here are the biggest takeaways heading into Game 3. It was the Pistons’ defense that once again showed up in their Game 2 win. Mitchell did the heavy lifting for the Cavaliers, going for 31 points on 24 shots, though he was limited to 2-of-9 shooting from distance. Apart from Mitchell, Detroit limited Cleveland to no other source of reliable offense. Harden had more turnovers (four) as made field goals (three). Offensively, the Pistons had it rolling from long range, shooting 14 of 28 from deep. Duncan Robinson led the way with five, while Cunningham had three and Tobias Harris, Daniss Jenkins and Caris LeVert each had two. If Detroit can consistently rely on its 3-point shooting, which had been anything but its strong suit during the regular season, it’ll be tough for the Cavaliers to keep up this series. The Pistons look battle-tested after their seven-game series in the first round, and have looked much more like the best version of themselves we’ve seen during the postseason through the first two games. Let’s see if they can carry the momentum they’ve built with them to Cleveland. — Hunter Patterson The turnovers were entirely reasonable and they still lost. For the first time in recent memory, Cleveland actually committed fewer turnovers than an opponent, giving it away just 11 times in Game 2 compared to Detroit’s 13 turnovers. Donovan Mitchell awoke from his relative slumber, too, and the Cavs still lost. Mitchell hit 31 points for the time since Game 2 of the first round, and over his last six games had been averaging just 20.5 points. But he was a willing participant in Game 2 against the Pistons, and even took nine free throws — or half of the foul shots he’d taken in the first eight games of the playoffs. Cleveland is down two games in this series because it can’t guard the 3-point line. Shooting 3s was supposed to be a decided advantage for the Cavs in this series, but they allowed the Pistons to go 14 of 28 on Thursday, with five more 3s from Duncan Robinson. One of the Cavs’ adjustments from Games 1 to 2 was to switch Dean Wade off of Cade Cunningham and onto Robinson, but it didn’t work. The Cavs shot 7 of 32 from 3, with Mitchell going 2 of 9. They’re missing Sam Merrill, for sure. James Harden’s tough playoffs got worse. He didn’t turn it over like his passes were freebies, but he shot 3 of 13 from the field and had Cavs fans clamoring for … Craig Porter Jr.? … to take Harden’s minutes. That obviously isn’t going to happen. Want to know what else won’t happen? The Cavs winning this series, unless they win Game 3 at home Saturday. No team in NBA history has recovered from a 3-0 deficit in the playoffs. — Joe Vardon Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms