Cade Cunningham scores 23, Tobias
Harris has 20 to help Pistons beat Cavs 111-101 in Game 1
[May 06, 2026]
By LARRY LAGE
DETROIT (AP) — Cade Cunningham scored 23 points, Tobias Harris had
20 and the Detroit Pistons beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 111-101 on
Tuesday night in Game 1 of their second-round series.
Duncan Robinson added 19 points for the top-seeded Pistons, who
ended an NBA record-tying 12-game postseason losing streak against a
single opponent, a drought that dated to the 2007 Eastern Conference
finals.
Game 2 is Thursday night in Detroit.
The Pistons forced 20 turnovers that led to 31 points in a strong
performance against Cleveland's potent backcourt of Donovan Mitchell
and James Harden.
“That's what this series presents, but we're up for a challenge,"
Harris said. "I thought tonight we did a great job of that.”
Mitchell scored 23 points, ending his NBA-record streak of scoring
30-plus points in nine straight series openers.
Harden had 22 points and Max Strus scored 19 for the No. 4-seeded
Cavs, who pulled into a tie midway through the fourth quarter after
trailing for most of the night and by as much as 18 points.
Harden committed seven turnovers and pointed the blame at himself.
“You look within first,” he said. “Look at my turnovers and a lot of
them are just on me and nothing they did.”
Cleveland center Jarrett Allen was limited to two points and three
rebounds, coming off a 22-point, 19-rebound performance in an
elimination game against Toronto.
Two days after both teams won a Game 7, the Pistons started strong
and led 37-31 after a quarter. Detroit took a 59-46 lead into the
second half, when the cushion was no longer comfortable.
Cleveland pulled within three points late in the third and Ron
Holland hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to end the quarter and put
the Pistons up 83-76.
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Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden (1) drives against Detroit
Pistons forward Isaiah Stewart (28) during the first half in Game 1
of a second-round NBA playoffs basketball series Tuesday, May 5,
2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)
After the Cavs cut their deficit to three again
early in the fourth, the Pistons responded with eight consecutive
points to restore a double-digit lead.
Cleveland, though, wouldn’t go away.
Harden, playing the Pistons for the first time since Cleveland
acquired him, scored seven straight points to pull the Cavs into a
93-all tie with 5:28 left.
Jalen Duren blocked Harden’s next shot and dunked on Detroit’s next
three possessions — each off Cunningham assists.
The Pistons won the Central Division this year by eight games ahead
of the defending champion Cavs, splitting four games during the
regular season.
Detroit earned 60 victories and the top seed in the East just two
years after losing 68 games and setting a single-season NBA record
with 28 straight losses.
The Pistons rallied from a 3-1 deficit in the first round against
Orlando to advance in the playoffs for the first time since 2008.
Cleveland outlasted Toronto in seven games to reach the second round
for the third straight year, a run that started with Bickerstaff,
who was fired by the Cavs and hired a month later by the Pistons.
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