The Detroit Pistons became the first playoff squad to defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers on their home court during the 2026 postseason
On Friday night, the Detroit Pistons exhibited in clinic in course correction during their 115-94 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers in game six of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
Entering the pivotal playoff matchup, the Pistons had no other choice but to address several areas that had been working distinctly against Detroit’s favor in the series. Through five games, All-Star center Jalen Duren still had yet to leave his imprint on the second round series, and head coach J.B. Bickerstaff was unable to strike a proper balance between JD and third-string center Paul Reed, who had been playing more like a first-string center against Cleveland.
With that rotational quandary taking center stage, Bickerstaff found a more productive distribution of playing time between Duren and Reed for last night’s elimination game. With the Pistons’ postseason hopes hanging in the balance, Duren posted his most impactful contest of the series with 15 points, 11 rebounds (four of which were offensive) and three blocks against the Cavs. Reed, on the other hand, stuck to his track record of lightning-fast production with 17 points and six rebounds in 16 minutes of action.
As for the former, Pistons point guard Cade Cunningham delivered his assessment of Duren’s bounce-back effort after Detroit’s 21-point victory over the Cavs.
“I thought it was great,” Cunningham said. “I thought his aggression was great. When he had the ball, when he didn’t have the ball, going and rebounding outside of his area, he did a lot of great things tonight. That’s who he is, so that’s who we need him to be in these playoffs. He really set the tone.”
But in the Pistons’ double-digit win, the Eastern Conference's top squad needed more than just a big game from JD to force game seven. In fact, Detroit called upon most everyone from their bench to contribute on the night, and Cunningham singled out a few players that helped swing the momentum back in their direction.
”It was great,” Cunningham said. “We needed every bit of it. Sass was amazing. B-Ball obviously did it again and had another great game. Vert’s been great all series. It’s been a collective effort. Having Dunc come back, he made some huge shots for us, so it’s been a collective effort. We needed every bit of it. Great team win.”
As for Cunningham, the All-Star starter 21-point, eight-assist, two-rebound effort against the Cavs, one that featured a heavy dose of perimeter scoring. Cunningham knocked down five huge three-pointers during the game, and his outside shooting was a big reason why the Pistons ended up with a decisive advantage from downtown when compared to the Cavs.
Now, the challenge for Detroit is to keep this same energy and momentum while bringing an even more devout sense of determination for game seven in the Motor City on Sunday.
“It’s going to be a lot of energy,” Cunningham said. “It’s going to be a mad house in there. The crowd is going to come to play as well. They want to insert themselves in the game, I know that, so it’s going to be a fun environment for us. We’re excited to get back to the crib.”
If the Pistons are able to close out the series with a win over the weekend, Detroit will have completed a nearly identical path through the first two rounds of the playoffs as their 2004 NBA Championship-winning counterpart did 22 years prior.
History doesn’t always repeat itself, but it often rhymes.
Tip-off is slated for 8 pm on Sunday, May 17 at Little Caesars Arena.
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