The Detroit Pistons wanted to start Round 2 with a statement after escaping a 3-1 series deficit to the Orlando Magic with a historic comeback.
They did so, winning Game 1 against the Cleveland Cavaliers 111-101. An 18-point Pistons lead late in the first quarter became a tie game by the midway point of the fourth quarter. But big buckets and rebounds by Jalen Duren down the stretch fueled an 18-8 Pistons run the rest of the way.
“I thought our defense was dialed in early in the game,” Tobias Harris said at the podium postgame. “We were in the moment, getting stops, getting plays, offensively figuring out ways that we can get the mismatches we want. But just playing off of our rhythm and our movement. I thought overall we did a good job of attacking them and figuring out who we wanted to put into plays and just finding our flow out there.
“It’s like I say, teams that go to Game 7 usually are lax in this type of game. We said before the game, don’t let that be our team. For us, just coming out with that type of energy, that type of fuel to keep us going, embrace the crowd, embrace this moment and just find our rhythm.”
Here are the keys for the Pistons to take a 2-0 lead in Game 2, followed by a prediction:
Continue leaning on Daniss Jenkins
The 24-year-old initially struggled in his playoff debut, posting six points and two assists on 1-for-7 shooting in a Game 1 loss to the Magic. His shooting percentages didn’t improve much through the next five games, but coach J.B. Bickerstaff stuck with him.
We’ve seen what Jenkins can do when he plays confidently and freely. The former two-way contract player seized the backup point guard job this season and won games for the Pistons with his clutch shotmaking. For them to prevail in the first round, they needed Jenkins to figure it out.
Bickerstaff’s trust paid off. After shooting 26.3% through Games 1-6, Jenkins knocked down four 3-pointers and scored 16 points in a crucial Game 7 win. He also dished five assists, continuing his lone constant in the playoffs – he’s the best pure one guard on the roster outside of Cade Cunningham, and they need Jenkins’ secondary ball-handling next to him.
Through eight games, Jenkins has 21 assists and just six turnovers. He followed Sunday’s effort with another strong performance in Game 1 against the Cavaliers, tallying 12 points, seven rebounds, three assists and four steals.
“Young players don’t develop if they don’t feel that belief and trust in them,” Bickerstaff said of his decision to stick with Jenkins. “And if you’re just yanking them and pulling them in and out, they don’t get the opportunities to grow.
“There’s mistakes that are made because of lack of effort or mistakes that are made because of lack of attention to detail, that you have to have consequences. But he didn’t have those mistakes. It was just a matter of him settling in.”
Ron Holland is ready for the spotlight
The second-year forward has appeared in all 159 regular season games in which he has been eligible to play. The postseason has been a different story – he didn’t appear in Game 6 of the playoffs against the New York Knicks last season. And after playing Games 1 and 2 against the Magic, he was benched for the rest of the series outside of one minute of Game 7 garbage time.
Holland likely will have a more substantial role against the Cavaliers due to him being their best defensive option (outside of Ausar Thompson) for superstar guards James Harden and Donovan Mitchell. Holland played 10 minutes in Game 1 and finished with six points, including a buzzer-beating 3 to finish the third quarter, and a steal.
“Even when we were playing against Orlando, he was telling me to stay ready, keep your head up,” Holland said of Bickerstaff. “I just came in the gym every single day and did just that. I stayed ready and, like you said, it’s going to be different moments going quarter-by-quarter, game-by-game. I want to be ready when my name is called because I want to go out there with no regrets.”
Winning the possession game again is a must
The Pistons accomplished many of their goals in Game 1, forcing 19 Cavaliers turnovers for 31 points and beating them on the glass, 16-11 in offensive rebounding and 45-41 in total rebounds. They also had a 19-11 advantage in second-chance points.
Duren controlled the paint on both ends with 11 points, 12 rebounds (seven offensive) and two blocks. Four players had at least two steals, led by Jenkins’ four. They defended without fouling, getting to the line 35 times while holding the Cavaliers to 16 attempts. It was a team-wide effort they’ll need to sustain to take a 2-0 lead back to Cleveland.
Pistons vs Cavaliers prediction in Game 2
Game 1 might’ve been a touch too close for comfort for the Pistons, who lost an 18-point lead but withstood several late Cleveland runs and never trailed in the second half. They will continue their razor sharp focus in Game 2 and ideally will get a stronger performance from Cunningham (23 points, seven assists, two steals, 31.6% shooting). The score: Pistons 115, Cavaliers 110.
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Contact Omari Sankofa II at osankofa@freepress.com. Follow him on X and/or Bluesky.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: 3 keys to Pistons taking 2-0 lead over Cavaliers, plus prediction
Reporting by Omari Sankofa II, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
