They are learning, these Detroit Pistons: quarter by quarter, game by game, series by series. Sometimes, even play by play.
They showed this again in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinals against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday, May 5, at Little Caesars Arena. They were tough when they needed to be and resourceful when they had to be, beating the Cavs, 111-101, to take a 1-0 lead in the series.
That resolve showed up early and late, especially after they’d given up a 13-point second-half lead against one of the NBA’s better offensive teams, riding a gutty effort from Cade Cunningham – who didn’t play his most efficient game, but surely played one of his grittiest.
The Cavaliers finally tied it when James Harden hit three free throws after Ausar Thompson fouled him behind the 3-point-line. The crowd, anxious for chunks of the night, fell quiet, except for the Cleveland fans in the building (of which there were too many).
Cunningham, who looked a bit sluggish at times, checked back in after a late fourth-quarter rest and missed a 3. Jalen Duren blocked Harden at the rim and grabbed the rebound. Cunningham then forced his way into the lane before dropping it off for a Duren dunk.
Then he did it again the next time down the floor to give Detroit a four-point lead. Cleveland called a timeout.
The Pistons made every play from there: another Cunningham to Duren dunk, a Daniss Jenkins pull-up, a late-shot clock jumper from Tobias Harris – of course – and a Cunningham midrange special. They needed all of it, from everywhere, on a night when the game was chippy and feisty, with a little shoving, a little pushing, and a lotta jawing.
Let’s see, Duncan Robinson chest-bumped Harden after a floater and Harden pushed him back.
Double technical.
Cunningham shoved Jaylon Tyson and Tyson ran and got in Cunningham’s face.
No technical.
Meanwhile, Dennis Schröder looked for a scuffle everywhere. He played that role well last season for the Pistons. He played it well Tuesday night for the Cavaliers.
It was physical, not quite in the way the last series was, but still, these are the playoffs, and this is the second round, and it’s been a while – 18 years, in fact – and this is how it should be. Fighting, scrapping, willing stops and buckets and a win when it gets tight and white-hot.
Besides, Javonte Green hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to end the first quarter. Ron Holland hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to end the third quarter. How often do you get one of those in a game, much less two?
You’ve got to take advantage and seize the opportunity, like Holland did. He had played one minute since Game 2 of the first round; on Tuesday, he only got 10 minutes, but had a tough finish at the rim and started to figure out how to slow down enough to harness that crackling energy.
The kind of energy – and competitive spirit – that was there for the entire team from the start, unlike Game 1 of the Orlando series. It needed to be. Cleveland is far more explosive.
The shooting was there early, too, largely from Robinson and Cunningham, who combined to hit five 3-pointers in the first half. Robinson couldn’t make a shot from deep against the Magic, and Cunningham was more efficient beyond the arc (2-for-5) than inside it Tuesday (4-for-14). He balanced his slightly off-kilter middy, though, by getting to the free throw line (9-for-11).
They were ready, in other words, in a way they weren’t the last series. Whatever they thought they’d accomplished in the regular season – and they thought they’d accomplished more than they had, they admitted – they’d shoved aside.
They knew. They understood the assignment, the moment.
They got to the line and made 11 of 12 free throws in the first quarter. They rebounded. They rotated on defense, they jumped to a 37-21 lead after one.
They made plays early and then again late, when they had to. They are learning.
Contact Shawn Windsor: swindsor@freepress.com. Follow him @shawnwindsor.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Pistons learned their lesson in Round 1 and applied it vs Cavs
Reporting by Shawn Windsor, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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