The Detroit Pistons and Cleveland Cavs each have one player listed on the injury report for Game 3
With two games in the books for this Eastern Conference Semifinals matchup, the Detroit Pistons are off to a quick 2-0 lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers after securing two straight 10-point wins at home to open the series. Now that the second round battle is shifting back to Cleveland as the home base for the next two games, the Pistons are looking to apply ample pressure to a Cavs squad that has looked susceptible to Detroit’s blue-collar, defense-first style.
In each of those two wins, the Pistons established an early lead before the Cavs could catch their footing, but Cleveland fought back to briefly retake the lead during the fourth quarter of each contest. Since Detroit took their foot off the gas pedal, Cade Cunningham was put into a playmaking role with the lights at their brightest, and the All-Star point guard delivered with a pair of meaningful playoff wins as the byproduct.
From a health standpoint, the Pistons will have a mostly full roster at their disposal for today’s 3 pm matchup despite a momentary injury scare in game two. During the first quarter, Pistons forward Tobias Harris was defending a Donovan Mitchell drive when the All-Star guard tugged at the Detroit defender’s knee, which caused him to awkwardly spin out of the play. Harris looked shaken up for a second, but he remained in the game and continued to provide the Pistons with a series of big shots down the stretch in another 20-point effort, his seventh straight.
But with regard to Detroit's actual injury report, Kevin Huerter is listed as doubtful for the second consecutive game as he continues to work through a left adductor strain. During the tail end of the Pistons’ first round series against the Magic, Huerter carried a questionable designation for games six and seven, but the eighth-year wing was downgraded to doubtful ahead of Thursday night’s win, so his status is trending in the wrong direction.
During the regular season, Huerter averaged 10 points and over three assists and three rebounds per game since joining the Pistons at the mid-year Trade Deadline. The veteran shooter quietly worked his way into a role as one of the first players off the bench for Detroit, so his absence will be noted this afternoon.
On the other side of the matchup, the Cavs also experienced their fair share of health concerns to their backcourt in game two. At one point, Mitchell rolled his ankle with a head of steam and took a lengthy pause before getting back to his feet after the transition play, but Spida stayed in the game despite the discomfort. Then not too long after, Dennis Schroder landed awkwardly on his ankle during the second quarter, and Cleveland acted cautiously in subbing the veteran guard out of the game. Schroder did return without looking limited, so his ankle issue appears to be of the mild variety.
Similarly to Detroit, the Cavs have a singular player listed on the injury report with Sam Merrill battling through a strained hamstring. Merrill was listed as questionable prior to game two but did not suit up for the 107-97 Pistons victory, so it would be a good idea to monitor his status during the Cavs’ pre-game shootaround.
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