Detroit — With eight seconds remaining in the fourth quarter and the game tied at 103-103, Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell drove towards the basket to attempt a floater. However, Ausar Thompson managed to knock the ball out of his hands. Thompson then regained control of the ball, but just as he established his position, Cavaliers big man Jarrett Allen tripped him as time expired. The Detroit Pistons tried to plead their case to the officials, but no one would acknowledge them.
Coach J.B. Bickerstaff believed that Allen’s trip on Thompson should have resulted in a foul, but crew chief Tony Brothers upheld his decision.
“During live play, both players were going for the ball, and there was incidental contact with the legs, with no player having possession of the ball,” Brothers told The Detroit News. “The play will be reviewed by the league office tomorrow (Thursday), and it will be posted in the L2M (Last Two-Minute Report).”
The controversial non-call on Allen became the focal point of the Pistons’ 117-113 overtime loss to the Cavaliers on Wednesday night at Little Caesars Arena. If the officials had called the foul, Thompson would have been in an excellent position to win the game at the free-throw line.
However, despite their frustration with the officiating for the second consecutive game, the Pistons are taking full responsibility for their poor performance. This time, their mistakes during the final three minutes of the fourth quarter contributed to their Game 5 defeat.
The Pistons now trail 3-2 in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, as the series shifts back to Cleveland for Game 6 on Friday.
“We aren’t supposed to lose that lead like that. We have to be better,” Daniss Jenkins said. “We have to execute better. Defensively, we gave up too many timely 3s.”
BOX SCORE: Cavaliers 117, Pistons 113 (OT)
Tobias Harris (13 points) made a mid-range jumper, giving the Pistons a 103-94 lead with three minutes left in the fourth quarter. At the time, the Pistons appeared to be on the verge of a victory. However, for the second straight night, the Cavaliers embarked on a run that ultimately proved detrimental.
The Cavaliers rallied in the final three minutes of the fourth quarter by responding with a 9-0 run to tie the game at 103-103, sending the game into overtime. Their run extended to 13 during the first few minutes of overtime, which was enough to hand the Pistons their third consecutive loss. James Harden led the Cavaliers with 30 points (8-of-21 FG, 3-of-10 3PT), shooting 11-of-14 from the foul line, to go along with eight rebounds and six assists.
“I feel like we slowed our tempo down, started playing in the half-court,” Bickerstaff said. “I thought we had success when we got out in transition. We got stops, we were able to get out and run, and then they started doubling and getting the ball out of Cade’s hands. So, we’ll find a way to fix it. We’ll be better.”
The Cavaliers held an 89-85 lead with 9:40 remaining in the fourth quarter when the Pistons began to elevate their performance on both ends. They launched a 10-point run, taking a 95-89 lead with 5:25 left in the game. During the stretch, the Pistons forced the Cavaliers into three consecutive turnovers, returning to the defensive play that once gave them early control when they once held a 2-0 series lead.
Cade Cunningham led the Pistons with 39 points, shooting 13-of-27 from the field, along with nine assists and six rebounds. However, he came up huge during the team’s fourth-quarter rally, scoring eight points. After failing to reach 30 points in Monday’s Game 4 loss, Cunningham bounced back and reached the milestone in the first half by scoring 20, which led to the Pistons leading 60-52 at the half.
Outside of the All-NBA guard, however, the team’s offensive production was limited. Jenkins started in place of Duncan Robinson, who was sidelined due to low back soreness. He contributed 19 points.
Without Robinson, the biggest issue in his absence stemmed from where the Pistons would get their 3-point shooting, given that he has shot 43.6% this postseason. It was a collective effort in the first half. The Pistons shot 6 of 14 from behind the arc, with Cunningham accounting for three. However, the Pistons went cold during the final two quarters and overtime, shooting 5-of-19 from deep.
After trailing at the half, the Cavaliers made a comeback in the third quarter, retaking the lead with 12 minutes left in the game. They outscored the Pistons 32-20, giving them an 84-80 lead. Harden contributed nine points during the period, helping the Cavaliers regain control.
The Pistons rallied in the fourth quarter, en route to a nine-point lead, due to Paul Reed’s play. Bickerstaff benched Jalen Duren for the backup big man, as Reed went on to record 10 points, eight rebounds and a block in 17 minutes.
After pouring in 43 points in Game 4, the Pistons limited Donovan Mitchell to 21 points, with seven coming in overtime.
“We all saw the play; I think it’s pretty clear it was a foul,” Cunningham said. “He (Thompson) has the ball in his possession, he’s running forward, he gets tripped up. It’s a foul, it’s been a foul the whole rest of the game, but it wasn’t a foul that time. Close game, nobody wanted to interfere with it, but it should have been a foul.”
Observations and notes
Huerter returns: Although the Pistons took the floor without Robinson, they were able to get one member of their core back. Kevin Huerter returned from his seven-game absence due to a left adductor strain. He was the first player to come off the bench, as Bickerstaff made the substitution for Ausar Thompson at the 6:17 mark of the first quarter. He came in and proved he is more than a shooting specialist.
The Cavaliers switched, leaving Harden on Huerter. But during his iso attempt, Huerter’s defensive presence forced Harden into a missed field goal. However, he only played three minutes and wasn’t on the bench for the second half.
Better production from Stew: Isaiah Stewart still did not play much, but his performance improved when compared to the first four games of this series. He played 11 minutes and provided a major boost as to why the Pistons held control during the first half, adding eight points on 3-of-5 shooting, which included two made 3-point field goals during the first quarter.
Thompson back to his all-around play: After a couple of subpar performances in Cleveland, Ausar Thompson returned to his all-around form. He finished with six points, seven rebounds, five assists, four steals, and three blocks.
coty.davis@detroitnews.com
@cotydavis_24
coty.davis@detroitnews.com
@cotydavis_24
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Stunning collapse: Pistons fall to Cavaliers in OT, trail series 3-2
Reporting by Coty M. Davis, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
