After a decisive 107-97 loss in Game 2, the Detroit Pistons have seized a 2-0 series lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers. While Cade Cunningham delivered in clutch moments for Detroit, the Cavaliers struggled to find answers on the road.
Donovan Mitchell had a decent outing but couldn’t connect from three-point range. The bigger concern, however, was James Harden. At age 36, Cleveland had hoped for playoff-caliber contributions from Harden, but his performance fell far short.
A telling moment came with 40 seconds left in the fourth quarter: Harden dribbled out the entire shot clock while down by six, then immediately turned the ball over. Even when his defense is lacking, Harden typically provides offensive spark, but here he was the Cavaliers’ worst player on both ends. He shot 3-for-13 from the field and committed four costly turnovers.
Head coach Kenny Atkinson has struggled throughout the playoffs, and benching Harden might be a drastic but necessary move. Ideally, Harden could thrive as an off-ball catch-and-shoot option, but he hasn’t shown that capability. If not, giving Craig Porter Jr. some minutes could inject energy.
It’s not certain the Cavaliers are completely out of this series. They have yet to win on the road this postseason (0-5), but Detroit hasn’t been overwhelmingly impressive. The Pistons’ aggressive defense has limited Cleveland’s options, but the Cavs have played into their hands by slowing the pace and relying on isolation or high pick-and-roll at half court — an ugly sight.
Two areas must improve: Cleveland needs to attack the basket more. In the third quarter, they mounted a run that made things interesting, but then reverted to isolation with zero ball movement, often starting the offense with only 10 seconds left on the shot clock.
Even more critical is shot-making. The Cavaliers shot 7-for-32 from three-point range, while Detroit hit 14-of-28. That tells the story. Atkinson’s constant blitzing of Cunningham leaves Detroit with open threes, turning a poor-shooting Pistons team into a rhythm offense. The Cavs need to stop overhelping and improve their rotations.
Rebuilding in the NBA is tough, but this Cavaliers roster may never be a true contender. Even if they somehow advance past this round, the team is deeply flawed. Cleveland faces difficult decisions this offseason, and we might be witnessing the final games of this core.
