Cleveland — Despite the free-throw shooting discrepancy, the Detroit Pistons had significant momentum as they emerged from the visiting locker room of Rocket Arena at halftime. They led the Cleveland Cavaliers, 56-52, a lead that was largely fueled by Caris LeVert, who scored 17 of his team-best 24 points in the first half.
Tobias Harris began the second half by missing a mid-range jumper. Shortly after, Donovan Mitchell connected on a floater, marking the Cleveland Cavaliers’ first basket of the third quarter. However, what happened over the next seven minutes was historic, as the Pistons suffered a 112-103 Game 4 loss on Monday night.
“They came out and played with more force than we did,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “We had a four-point lead, but they came out very aggressive on both ends of the floor, and we did not match it.”
The Cavaliers went on a 22-0 run, making it the second-longest scoring run by any team in a playoff game since 1998. Mitchell scored 18 of his 42 points during the nearly seven minutes the Pistons failed to score a basket. As a result, Cleveland took advantage of the Pistons’ struggles, shooting 10-of-12 from the field.
The Pistons missed eight consecutive shots during the stretch, which also included four turnovers. As a result, the Pistons and Cavaliers are tied at 2-2 in their best-of-seven series. Mitchell went on to score 39 points (12-of-18 FG, 3-of-7 3PT) in the second half.
“We have to come out in the third quarter better,” Cade Cunningham said. “Obviously, defensively, but also offensively, where we have to stay organized and not allow the noise to get us disorganized. …. If he (Mitchell) sees a gap, he is going to go. We have to do our best to eliminate his touches and his catches on the run. … We will stay physical with him and continue to play our brand of basketball. He got loose tonight, but we will be back next game.”
BOX SCORE: Cavaliers 112, Pistons 103
The Cavaliers’ run continued until Paul Reed scored a driving dunk at the 5:57 mark of the third quarter. For the second consecutive game, Reed gave the Pistons a major boost off the bench, finishing with 15 points on 7-of-9 shooting in 14 minutes. Cunningham added 19 points, six assists with five turnovers.
However, even before the Cavaliers went on a 22-0 run, they appeared to have control of the game because of the number of times they got to the free-throw line. The Cavaliers shot 30-of-34 from the line, as Mitchell accounted for 15 attempts. The Pistons finished the game with 12 attempts, connecting on nine for 75.0% shooting.
“It’s unacceptable. We did not do enough to help ourselves, but ever since we came to Cleveland, the whistle has changed,” Bickerstaff said. “There is no way one guy (Mitchell) shoots more free throws than our entire team. What was done out there tonight is frustrating, but we cannot allow that to be the reason why (we lost this game).”
Harris scored a total of 16 points, with 14 of those coming in the first half. He was one of two veterans who helped the Pistons recover from a slow start in the first quarter, during which James Harden (24 points) scored 11 of Cleveland’s first 13 points, giving them an early eight-point lead (13-5).
LeVert entered the game at the 7:01 mark of the first quarter after Ausar Thompson collected his second foul. He made an immediate impact for the Pistons off the bench, scoring eight points in his first seven minutes on the court. The veteran guard’s availability was questionable for most of the night, as he was bothered by a heel injury following the results of Game 3.
LeVert’s production for the entire night was a testament to why Bickerstaff never gave up on him in a season that had been filled with hardships. He has dealt with a handful of nagging injuries.
As a result, LeVert had the worst season of his career, finishing with 7.4 points and 2.7 assists across 60 games in an average of 19.2 minutes. It is also why his minutes were limited at the start of the playoffs, especially against the Orlando Magic, where he averaged 12.8 minutes in the first round.
“I thought he came in and gave us what we needed,” Bickerstaff said. “He gave us a great spark on both ends of the floor. LeVert is a true competitor and understands the moment — how important these games are and how much they mean to him and to us. He doesn’t take it for granted.”
Observations and notes
Duren continues to struggle: Jalen Duren had one of his poorest performances of the postseason, facing issues ranging from foul trouble to missing several pass attempts. He ended the night with eight points, five personal fouls, and four turnovers. This marked the fifth time this postseason that Duren scored in single digits, whereas he was held to under 10 points only six times through 70 regular-season games.
“I just have to be better — no excuses,” Duren said. “I am my biggest critic. I know what I have to do in order to contribute to our team and our success. I am staying on myself to do that, no matter what the case might be. I have great teammates. Great coaches. I know as a group, we are going to come back stronger.”
Thompson’s worst postseason game: Ausar Thompson has arguably been the Pistons’ second-best player for much of the playoffs. However, his performance in Game 4 was by far his worst of the postseason, and perhaps the season. He played only nine minutes in the first half due to a handful of mishaps, including foul trouble and defensive lapses. His biggest issue was turnovers.
In the first half, Thompson committed four turnovers, contributing to Detroit’s total of 10. His worst giveaway occurred at the 5:59 mark of the second quarter, prompting Bickerstaff to immediately substitute him out for LeVert. Thompson played 18 minutes, finishing with four points and four rebounds.
coty.davis@detroitnews.com
@cotydavis_24
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Pistons allow 22-0 run in loss to Cavs; series tied 2-2
Reporting by Coty M. Davis, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
