DETROIT – The Cavs didn’t have enough in the tank.
A spirited comeback attempt led by Donovan Mitchell, who had 22 of his 38 points in the fourth quarter, came just too little, too late, and the Pistons walked away with the 133-122 victory.
The Cavs stepped onto the floor at Little Caesars Arena on Friday night with history on their side. Twelve straight wins against the Pistons — their longest active streak against any NBA team.
But Cleveland quickly learned that past dominance means little when present struggles persist.
Even against a shorthanded Detroit squad missing its franchise centerpiece, Cade Cunningham, the Cavs looked like the ones on their back legs.
Sluggish, out of sync, and unable to dictate the pace, Cleveland fell behind early and never found the rhythm necessary to claw back, unraveling in a defeat that underscored the flaws they’ve been battling all month.
“We were kind of on our heels,” Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson said. “The game plan was to take away the paint. Limit turnovers. Win the rebounding game. You give the instructions, and you either do it or don’t. We didn’t. They imposed their will. They imposed their identity. That’s why you come out with the L.”
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March has been a grind.
A relentless travel schedule, injuries, and recurring slippages have all chipped away at the Cavs’ foundation of a historic season.
The Cavs haven’t had a true practice since being in Nashville ahead of their contest against the Memphis Grizzlies on March. And they split their practice time also on the football field at Vanderbilt.
They also haven’t played consecutive games in the same city since Feb. 21 and Feb. 23 — a grueling stretch that has taken a toll on the team.
Even during their recent three-game winning streak, there were possession-by-possession lapses that, against more disciplined teams, could have led to losses. The Pistons took advantage, exposing the vulnerabilities that Cleveland has yet to fully patch.
Detroit entered the game with the NBA’s third-best defensive rating over the past 15 games, and it showed.
From the opening tip, the Pistons swarmed Cleveland’s ball handlers, pressing full court and disrupting passing lanes. The Cavs knew the persistent pressure was coming but they couldn’t do anything about it. They coughed up 15 turnovers, many of which led directly to transition opportunities for Detroit. The Pistons had 25 fast break points to Cleveland’s five.
“It’s going to be huge, especially coming down the stretch right into the playoffs because possessions matter so much,” Darius Garland said about limiting their turnovers. “Just taking care of the ball. Put that on me. Just take care of the ball. Just try to make the right reads. It’s going to be really important for us not to get sped up just slow down a little bit and try to read [the game].”
With the Cavs’ offense thrown off balance early, they struggled to generate quality looks, settling for rushed shots and stagnant half-court possessions.
But the real damage came where it has so often this season — on the glass.
The Cavs’ rebounding issues have been a glaring concern, particularly in March, where they rank 25th in defensive rebound percentage (68.6%).
Against a young and aggressive Pistons team, those struggles were magnified. Cleveland gave up 16 offensive rebounds and allowed 24 second-chance points, repeatedly failing to close out defensive possessions.
Each extra opportunity for Detroit chipped away at Cleveland’s defensive energy which it already had to fight to muster in the first place.
“When you turn it over to the other team, it’s probably the worst possible outcome,” Atkinson said. “Because they get out in transition, They usually have an advantage and you can’t stop them. I felt like we turned it over and it was a layup drill.
“I think the turnovers are a big thing. I think their physicality caused a lot of it, their activity. But that’s playoff basketball, and we’ve been excellent not turning it over all year, but we have been lately. Therefore, you lose the possession game, you lose the turnover game, and then you lose the rebounding game and it’s tough to win in this league.”
Not to mention, the Pistons offense was hungry, spread out and allowed multiple players to shine.
Tim Hardaway Jr. played with the urgency Cleveland lacked, torching the Cavs for a season-high 32 points on an efficient 10 of 18 shooting, including 7 of 11 from 3-point range. His shot-making stretched Cleveland’s defense to its limits. And seven of the Pistons’ nine players to enter the contest scored in double figures.
While the Cavs were able to shrink a 21-point deficit late into the third quarter to just two points with 3:31 left in the fourth, Cleveland would rather not put itself in close-game situations even though they have the late-game execution to pull them out. Because not all of them will turn in their favor.
Garland followed Mitchell’s standout performance with 21 points of his own — although being held scoreless in the final period.
And around the margins, with Max Strus (ankle injury management) and Ty Jerome (knee) unavailable, the Cavs struggled to find consistent secondary scoring. Just two players outside of Garland and Mitchell scored in double figures for Cleveland.
Friday’s loss continued a troubling trend as the Cavaliers approach the final stretch of the season.
“We’re definitely not. Not at this point,” Atkinson said when asked if the team is playing to its standard. “But there’s still [eight] games left. I do trust our body of work. I trust the guys.
“I do think we need to get home and collect ourselves a little bit, sleep in our beds and get back on our routine and actually practice or have a shoot around. I think that’ll help too.”
Up next
The Cavs travel home for a matinee game against the Los Angeles Clippers at Rocket Arena on Sunday afternoon. Tipoff is set for 3:30 p.m. Eastern.
