The Detroit Pistons have opened up a 2-0 lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round. Is a sweep possible?
After the Detroit Pistons sparked a dramatic 3-1 comeback against the Orlando Magic in round one, the Motown hoops squad ripped off two consecutive 10-point wins to take a 2-0 lead over the Cleveland Cavs in the second round. With those wins, the Pistons have gained even more confidence along the way, and their first round scare could turn into a galvanizing force that pushes Detroit to greater postseason heights.
At the moment, Detroit’s second round series is headed back to Cleveland for game three. In the first two contests, the Pistons were comfortably in control for three quarters before allowing the Cavs back into the game during the final frame, but Detroit guard Cade Cunningham shut the door on those short-lived comebacks each time.
“I just want to win games,” Cunningham said after game two. “It’s been a lot of games down the stretch where it’s tight and you’ve got to have productive possessions. The ball is in my hands, and I’ve got to make plays with it, so I think that’s where it comes from is just trying to make the best play. Obviously, the pressure and the moment or whatever the word is that I’m looking for, it’s high stakes at the end of the game is what I’m trying to say. You’ve got to make plays. I think all of that stuff fuels me, but just trying to do best by my team and make sure I’m helping my team the best way I can is what I’m trying to do.”
In game one, Cunningham finished with 23 points, seven assists, three rebounds and two steals in 42 minutes of action, and the All-Star starter followed that up with a 25-point, 10-assist effort on Thursday night to give Detroit a decided advantage in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Along the way, Cunningham joined Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, LeBron James and Anthony Davis as the only players in NBA history to hit 20+ points in each of their first 15 playoff games, so the Pistons’ engine has performed both prolifically and consistently during his postseason forays.
But to Cunningham, that accomplishment is extraneous to his primary goal of keeping Detroit’s season alive. Through two games, Cunningham has held the responsibility of defending 11-time All-Star James Harden on the defensive side, and that’s one area where the Detroit star sees room for improvement.
“I got to be better,” Cunningham said. “I’m starting on Harden, obviously Harden and Donovan [Mitchell] are two dynamic offensive players, so just making sure I’m doing my job and not breaking down our defense. Trying to make plays is huge for us, so just trying to execute the best I can, make sure we’re a high level on that end. That’s what’s won us games.”
Based on that response, one would expect for Harden to have lit up the Pistons during the first two games of the series, but the Cavs guard was responsible for a modest 22-point output in game one before posting a 10-point dud on 23.1% shooting on Thursday night. So more than anything, Cunningham’s desire for defensive excellence is indicative of an overarching standard that the Pistons keep regarding their defensive ruggedness.
As a team, the Pistons have held the Cavs to just 99 points per game in round two, so keeping Cleveland away from three-digit scoring totals will be key for Detroit’s chances in the rest of the series. But the Pistons have relied on their defensive pressure all season long, so this postseason blueprint is nothing new for a Detroit squad that focuses on winning the margins. The possession battle is always a key statistic for the Pistons, so their strategy against the Cavs mirrors the same philosophy from Detroit’s 60-win regular season campaign.
Naturally, winning playoff games on the road is a considerably more difficult task the longer the postseason goes on, so the Pistons will be tested in the Cavs’ building over the next two games, but the possibility for a second round sweep is still on the table thanks to Cunningham’s clutch performances, though he’s been far from the only Piston to elevate their contributions in the playoffs.
“He’s been great in a lot of ways,” Cunningham said of Tobias Harris. “He’s showed me a lot of things on and off the court: professionalism, ways to make my life easier and do my job more efficiently, but on the court he’s so versatile. We can put him in so many different sports. He can space us and shoot the three. We can put him on the block and he goes and gets us one. We went to him a couple times early fourth quarter to go get us some buckets and just the ability to put him in so many different spots at the four position is just great for us. His professionalism and the way he leads is just the cherry on top.”
On Thursday, Harris set an NBA record as the first player to score at least 20 points in seven consecutive playoff games after failing to reach that threshold in back-to-back games at any point during the regular season. So, it’s safe to say that the veteran forward not only understands the importance of playoff basketball but he’s prepared to deliver when called upon in crucial moments for the Pistons.
Harris, Cunningham and the rest of their Detroit teammates will take the court tomorrow afternoon for a 3 pm tip-off against the Cavs with the opportunity to take a 3-0 lead on the line.
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