NBA Playoffs: Pistons Beat Cavaliers 107-97 for 2-0 Series Lead

istons hold off Cavaliers to go 2-0 up in playoff series

Detroit fought back late to beat Cleveland 107-97 on Thursday, with Cade Cunningham’s 25-point double-double pushing the Pistons to a 2-0 series lead.

The Pistons used a late surge to down the Cavaliers and go up 2-0, leaving Cleveland needing a home win on Saturday to stay alive...

Detroit stopped Cleveland’s late surge to secure a 107-97 win on Thursday, moving 2-0 ahead in their NBA playoff matchup.

  

Cade Cunningham finished with 25 points and 10 assists, while Tobias Harris chipped in 21 for the Pistons. Detroit established itself defensively from the start, but needed a late push after Cleveland rallied to edge two points ahead early in the fourth quarter.

“We just stayed poised,” Cunningham told broadcaster Prime. “Stuck to our principles, stuck to our system and just turned up the energy a little bit.”

Donovan Mitchell led all scorers with 31 points for Cleveland, and Jarrett Allen added 22. Despite their efforts, the Cavaliers now face a tough task as the series shifts to Cleveland for game three of the best-of-seven Eastern Conference semi-final on Saturday.

Cunningham, who dropped 12 points in the fourth quarter, said Detroit will need to “turn up our energy even more” when they play in Cleveland.

“They're a tough team to beat at home, so we're going to have to come in with a high level of focus and competitive spirit and we'll get the job done,” he said.

The Pistons entered the postseason as the East’s top seed after finishing with the league’s third-best record, and they needed to rally from 3-1 down to eliminate the Orlando Magic in round one.

In this series, Detroit made it a priority to protect home court, and game two delivered another strong defensive effort that helped them build a 54-43 advantage by halftime.

PISTONS WIN GAME 2!

2-0 SERIES LEAD IN THE EAST SEMIS 🍿 pic.twitter.com/mRe7hNgUN1

— NBA (@NBA) May 8, 2026

Cleveland pushed back in the third quarter, with Mitchell adding 11 points and the Cavaliers limiting their turnovers to outscore Detroit 32-25 in the period.

James Harden pulled Detroit within one with a pull-up jumper at the 17.5-second mark of the third quarter, and Daniss Jenkins followed with a three-pointer to give the Pistons a 79-75 edge heading into the fourth.

Evan Mobley’s dunk early in the final period put Cleveland ahead 81-79, marking the Cavs’ first lead since the opening minute of the game.

YKTPWA 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/pPdzF9cy8R

— Detroit Pistons (@DetroitPistons) May 8, 2026

The advantage didn’t last long. Duncan Robinson knocked down a three to put Detroit back on top, and the Pistons never looked back. Cunningham sealed it with a three that extended the margin to nine with just over two minutes remaining.