DETROIT — After a second-half comeback came up short in the series opener, the Cleveland Cavaliers look to even their best-of-seven series with the Detroit Pistons in Game 2 on Thursday, May 7.
The top-seeded Pistons won Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals 111-101 on May 5 as turnovers and center Jarrett Allen’s foul trouble plagued the the fourth-seeded Cavs.
Follow along for our live updates from Game 2, which tipped off at 7:11 p.m.
Cavaliers produce 6-0 run to start the fourth quarter and capture 81-79 lead vs. Pistons with 10:19 left
The Cavs went on a 6-0 run to begin the fourth quarter and seized their first lead since they were ahead 3-0 early in the first quarter.
The Cavs led the Pistons 81-79 after wing Jaylon Tyson drove for a layup on a possession kept alive by point guard Dennis Schroder’s offensive rebound, guard Donovan Mitchell had a putback on his own miss and forward Evan Mobley dunked on an assist from Schroder. The Mobley dunk with 10:19 left in the fourth quarter gave the Cavs their first lead since the beginning of Game 2.
Pistons lead Cavs entering fourth quarter of Game 2
The Cavs closed the deficit to just one point before Daniss Jenkins buried a 3 at the third-quarter buzzer, and the Pistons will enter the fourth quarter leading 79-75.
That was certainly a step in the right direction for the Cavs, who were led by Donovan Mitchell’s 11 points in the quarter. He’s now up to 23 points tonight. Jarrett Allen, who was a non-factor in Game 1 due to foul trouble, has 14 points, six rebounds and three assists so far.
Cavs make it 3-point game in Game 3 vs Pistons
Donovan Mitchell is starting to heat up, and the Cavs are within one possession, now down 69-66 with 3:17 left in the third quarter.
Mitchell buried a corner 3 and then banked in a 3 at the shot clock buzzer. After the second 3-pointer, Mitchell first-pumped in a pretty animated way as the Cavs try to claw their way back.
Cavaliers, Pistons Game 2 score
The Cavs trail Detroit 62-56 with 7:10 left in the third quarter, cutting it to a two-possession game.
Cleveland came out of halftime with a bit more energy on offense. Donovan Mitchell, who might have to try to take this game over if the Cavs have a chance, has five points in the quarter already.
Ausar Thompson commits fourth foul early in third quarter of Game 2
Ausar Thompson has picked up his fourth foul only a few possessions into the third quarter, and he’ll have to again head for the bench. That’s a rough blow for the Pistons defense, and it might give the Cavs a small opening to mount a comeback.
What is the score of the Cavs game at halftime?
The Cavs will enter the first half trailing the Pistons 54-43.
Cleveland is just 3-for-14 from 3-point range. Donovan Mitchell has 12 points on 5-for-10 shooting and made a floater at the first-half buzzer.
Kenny Atkinson has emphasized winning the possession game by leading the turnover and rebounding battles. At the half, the Cavs are losing both (9-7 turnovers, 20-16 rebounds).
While the Cavs trail, they have held Cade Cunningham in check thus far, as he has only five points at the half, though he does have six assists. Daniss Jenkins has a game-high 11 points off the bench. The Pistons are 7-for-15 from 3-point range.
Pistons lead by double digits Cavs in Game 2
The Cavs trail the Pistons 49-38 with 1:30 left in the first half in Game 2.
The Cavs have hit just two of their 12 3-point attempts thus far.
Daniss Jenkins is having a really nice night for Detroit with 11 points, three rebounds and two assists off the bench.
Detroit is simply acting as the aggressor yet again, playing with more physicality and energy than Cleveland.
Pretty much everyone on the Cavs’ roster looks uncomfortable right now, but nobody more than James Harden, who is drawing “Harden sucks” chants from the Detroit crowd. He’s 2-for-10 from the floor with three turnovers.
Who’s winning Cavs-Pistons Game 2?
The Pistons lead the Cavs 36-29 with 6:43 left in the first half.
Cleveland is losing the turnover battle 8-4. That’s been one of Kenny Atkinson’s biggest messages in these playoffs, but first-half turnover issues keep following the Cavs. James Harden has three of those turnovers.
Of note, Ausar Thompson, the Pistons’ all-world defensive specialist, has three personal fouls and will need to sit for a bit.
Donovan Mitchell has 10 points. Jaylon Tyson has had a productive night with five points and four rebounds early on.
Donovan Mitchell potential injury
Cavs guard Donovan Mitchell came up hobbling a bit after driving to the basket. He’s remaining in the game, but he was down for a few moments and was in some obvious pain. Replays show he might have stepped oddly, with his right ankle extending a bit.
The Pistons lead 28-22 with 10:22 left.
Cavaliers trail Pistons 25-18 at the end of the first quarter
The Cavs trailed the Pistons 25-18 at the end of the first quarter, and it could have been a lot worse for Cleveland.
For the vast majority of the opening quarter, the Cavs looked as if they were a boxer absorbing jab after jab after jab to the chin with far fewer counters to give the Pistons.
The Cavs trailed 25-14 until they closed the quarter with two free throws by guard Donovan Mitchell with 49 seconds remaining and a dunk by forward Evan Mobley on an assist from point guard Dennis Schroder with 30.9 seconds left.
Mitchell paced the Cavs with eight points in the first quarter. Pistons small forward Ausar Thompson led Detroit with eight points in the opening quarter.
The Cavs lost the turnover battle 6-4 in the first quarter but outrebounded the Pistons 9-7.
Tobias Harris shaken up as Cavs’ Donovan Mitchell cuts deficit to 14-11
Guard Donovan Mitchell drove for consecutive baskets, cutting the Cavs’ deficit to 14-11 with 6:54 left in the first quarter.
On the second Mitchell drive, which he finished with a floater, Pistons forward Tobias Harris was shaken up. As Harris guarded Mitchell, Harris fell and grabbed his left hip and quadriceps area. Harris remained in the game following a timeout with 6:54 remaining.
Turnovers are already hurting Cavs in Game 2 vs. Pistons
The Cavs had three turnovers in less than the first three minutes of Game 2 and trailed 12-5 during a timeout with 9:18 left in the first quarter.
Forward Evan Mobley committed two early turnovers, and center Jarrett Allen committed one.
Pistons guard Duncan Robinson stole a pass from Allen and immediately made an open 3-pointer to give Detroit a 10-5 lead. Then Robinson stole a pass from Mobley and turned the opportunity into a fast-break layup and a 12-5 lead.
In case you have not heard, turnovers have been a huge problem for the Cavs throughout this postseason.
Below is some pregame information.
Where to watch Cavs game tonight: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Detroit Pistons Game 2 TV, streaming and radio info
Game 2 between the Cavs and Pistons will be televised nationally by Prime Video. The local radio broadcast can be heard via WTAM (1100-AM) or WMMS (100.7-FM).
Cavs injury report for Game 2 vs Pistons
The Cavs have ruled out backup shooting guard Sam Merrill for Game 2 with a left hamstring strain.
Cavs starting lineup vs Pistons in Game 2
The Cavs are going with the same starting lineup as they did in Game 1.
Pistons vs Cavs Game 2 injury report
The Pistons ruled out backup wing Kevin Huerter (left abductor strain) for Game 2 shortly before tipoff after initially listing him as doubtful. Huerter was inactive in Game 1 against the Cavs and for the final three games of the Pistons’ 4-3 first-round series win over the eighth-seeded Orlando Magic.
Pistons starting lineup vs. Cavaliers in Game 2
The Pistons will use the same starting lineup for Game 2 as the one they used in Game 1.
Cavs playoff schedule. When does Cavaliers-Pistons series start?
Here is all of the scheduling information the NBA has announced thus far about the Cavs-Pistons series in the Eastern Conference semifinals:
Eastern Conference playoff bracket 2026
Here are the second-round matchups:
Here are the first-round results:
Cleveland Cavaliers playoff history during their Donovan Mitchell era
This is the fourth consecutive season the Cavs have made the playoffs.
Here are the results from their previous three playoff appearances, all of which have occurred since the Cavs traded for All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell in 2022:
The Akron Beacon Journal sports department can be contacted via email at bjsports@thebeaconjournal.com.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cavs score, live Game 2 updates vs. Pistons. Cleveland surges ahead
Reporting by Ryan Lewis and Nate Ulrich, Akron Beacon Journal / Akron Beacon Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
