A Sense of Doubt blog post #4098 - Letter to Dad #34 - Pistons up 2-0 in Semi-Finals Over Cleveland!
Hi Big Guy,
Enjoy the Pistons news from games one and two of the Semi-Finals.
https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nba/pistons/2026/05/08/detroit-pistons-thrive-thanks-to-j-b-bickerstaff-emphasis-on-youth/89990042007/
Growth-first approach from J.B. Bickerstaff winning games for Pistons
After a 60-win regular season, the first round of the 2026 NBA playoffs revealed that the Detroit Pistons still had some growing up to do.
Coach J.B. Bickerstaff trusted his young roster to figure it out.
They were on the brink of elimination in Game 6 against the Orlando Magic, down by 24 points early in the third quarter on May 1. And yet fourth-year big Jalen Duren, who who struggled to assert himself on both sides of the ball earlier in the series, played the final eight minutes of the game over Paul Reed, a vet in the midst of a strong performance.
Second-year guard Daniss Jenkins, who couldn’t hit shots through the first five games, played 10 of 24 second-half minutes in a historic comeback to force a Game 7, eventually won by the Pistons to set up their Eastern Conference semifinal matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Bickerstaff leaned on them for a simple reason: To learn how to handle high-pressure moments – to, perhaps, become pillars of the franchise – they first had to experience them.
“When you have young guys who are doing things for the first time, playing in these situations, it’s not going to be perfect,” Bickerstaff said after the Pistons’ 107-97 Game 2 win over the Cavaliers on Thursday, May 7. “What we judge them on is, if it’s effort-based and if they’re giving us all they got, then we’ll stick with them and give them a chance to play through some of the bumps and bruises, because we trust that they’re going to get through it and they’ll be better for it.”
The Pistons have won five straight since an April 29 loss left them trailing the Magic, 3-1. Even as they continue a rapid trajectory to contention, Bickerstaff – and the front office – hasn’t abandoned a growth-oriented approach to coaching and team-building. Their young core is meeting the moment, even if it took a first-round scare for them to get there.
President of basketball operations Trajan Langdon decided against a big trade deadline swing for a potential star to help Cade Cunningham, instead allowing his players to grow into stardom. That patience extends to Bickerstaff, who is coaching with the big picture in mind even as the team is in the midst of its deepest playoff run in nearly two decades.
“We’re going to be here for a while, right?” he said after the team’s practice on Wednesday. “And this group is going to be together for a while. So we have to do what’s best for this group in total and not just react to our emotions in the moment. Being here, working with Trajan and Tom [Gores, Pistons owner], they’ve afforded me the ability to be able to do that and see the game that way, where you don’t feel like you have to win or lose every possession or your job's on the line.”
Bickerstaff recognized that Jenkins needed time to adjust to the postseason pace and physicality. The Pistons needed what Jenkins could bring – namely, secondary ballhandling alongside Cunningham. Instead of benching him, he gave him an opportunity to rise to the moment.
Jenkins had 16 points and five assists in Game 7, and 12 points, seven rebounds, three assists and four steals in a Game 1 win over the Cavs. Game 2 brought Jenkins' third straight game scoring in double figures.
Duren, meanwhile, looked stiff and unfocused at the beginning of the Magic series. He fumbled the rebounds and passes he usually nabs with ease, had issues establishing himself on the boards, gave up too many baskets in the paint and was outplayed by Orlando's Wendell Carter Jr.
He found his rhythm as a rim protector during the Game 6 comeback and looked like the All-Star version of himself in Game 7, in which he tallied his first double-double of the series – 15 points, 15 rebounds (six offensive) and three assists. He kept it rolling in Game 1 against Cleveland, finishing with 11 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and two blocks.
“Young players don’t develop if they don’t feel that belief and trust in them, and if you’re just yanking them and pulling them in and out they don’t get the opportunities to grow,” Bickerstaff said.
The Pistons are winning like a team with urgency, but their philosophy has remained the same since September's media day: Internal growth was always going to dictate their level of success this season.
Turns out, their patient approach is also the approach most conducive to winning.
Cade Cunningham sends message with Game 2 takeover vs Cavaliers
He looked patient then sluggish then focused, and when the game was in the balance, he looked like him.
Or, more accurately, Him.
That’s how it goes some nights, when the game isn’t quite there, and the feel is a touch off, even for budding superstars. What matters is what happens when it is time to win.
Cade Cunningham clearly gets that. He continues to show these playoffs that he gets it, and did so again Thursday, May 7, at Little Caesars Arena.
And so, with a little more than two minutes left and the Pistons leading by six, he pulled the ball back between his legs, smooth as flowing water, and knocked down a dagger 3-pointer.
Also, message sent.
Cunningham finished with 25 points and 10 assists, a superlative second-half performance from one of the best players in the game. That’s clear. And clearer with each step through these playoffs.
Even on a night when he looked out of it for a while, he found a way to close. Though he wasn’t the only one.
They’ve come back. They’ve blown teams out. And now they’ve made winning plays at the end of the game.
Actually, they did a version of that in Game 1 against the Cavaliers, but that win was decided before the final few minutes.
Whatever else you say about these young Pistons, they are proving by the game that they belong here and that they have the ability to respond, no matter the situation.
Like the first game of this series, Cleveland came back from a halftime deficit and tied it in the fourth. This time, they actually took the lead, on an Evan Mobley dunk. Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff called a timeout, and his team quickly went back to work.
It started with the vets. Tobias Harris tied it. Who else? Duncan Robinson buried a transition 3-pointer from not too far inside the halfcourt line.
The quick 7-0 run settled them for the stretch run. For once, their offense picked up their defense. Well, that and Ausar Thompson checked back into the game despite a tight foul situation. That never hurts. And he kept going for the rest of the fourth.
It’s hard to imagine a better defender outside San Antonio.
Buckets?
It’s hard to imagine a more unlikely source than Daniss Jenkins. He was at it again Thursday night.
The start of the Pistons guard's postseason was a blip. This is who he has been for so much of the season. Maybe not draining buzzer-beating, end-of-quarter 3-pointers, as he did Thursday – the Pistons' third buzzer-beater in two games – but serving as the secondary playmaker Cunningham needs.And the shot-maker the Pistons need. There he was pulling up from the elbow, from the baseline, taking the ball and waiting, patiently, until a big man flashed under the rim for an open look, as he did when he found Jalen Duren for a dunk late in the second.
He helped the Pistons build their lead in the first half and helped them from completely collapsing in the third when the Cavaliers made their push. He scored 14, and the Pistons needed it, as Cunningham looked a little sluggish in the first half.
Then again, maybe he meant to sit back and pass first and assess?
[ Cavaliers don't respect Pistons. It's time the cities don't respect each other either ]
They had energy at the start again, especially defensively, which has become a pattern now, a sign that they understand what is needed from the jump. They swarmed. They blanketed. They rotated.
They suffocated.
Thompson was in the middle of it all, primarily ping-ponging between James Harden and Donovan Mitchell, as the Pistons built an 11-point lead at the half and held Cleveland to 43 points.
The defense disappeared in the third but returned in the fourth, like Cunningham did.
A wicked combination, as it turns out.
A promising one, too.
Cade Cunningham has 25 points and 10 assists to lift Pistons past Cavs 107-97 for a 2-0 lead
DETROIT -- — Cade Cunningham had 25 points and 10 assists, Tobias Harris scored 21 points and the Detroit Pistons beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 107-97 on Thursday night to take a 2-0 lead in their second-round series.Game 3 is Saturday in Cleveland, where the Cavs were 4-0 in the first round against Toronto.
The top-seeded Pistons have won five straight games since Orlando put them on the brink of elimination in the first round.
“We're going to keep swinging,” reserve guard Daniss Jenkins said. “We're still trying to prove something to ourselves.”
Donovan Mitchell scored 31 points and Jarrett Allen had 22 points and seven rebounds, bouncing back from a poor performance in Game 1 for the fourth-seeded Cavs.
James Harden, though, missed 10 of 13 shots and was limited to 10 points. Harden had four turnovers, including one with 33 seconds left when the Cavs trailed by just six.
“We just wear on you,” Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “That’s what our objective is.”
Cleveland's Max Strus scored just three points after he had 19 in the series opener. The Cavs went 0 for 11 from 3-point range in the fourth quarter, with Strus having four of the misses.
“Unfortunately, it was not a night where we shot the ball well — 7 of 32 from 3,” Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson said.
Detroit’s Duncan Robinson had 17 points, making 5 of 9 3-pointers, and Jenkins came off the bench to score 14 points, his third straight game in double figures.
“I don’t think people can keep up with my pace and my speed,” Jenkins said.
Cleveland made the first shot but didn’t lead again until Evan Mobley’s dunk put the visitors ahead 81-79 early in the fourth quarter.
The Pistons led by 11 points in the first quarter and 14 in the second quarter.
“I don’t know what it is with the start of games,” Atkinson said. "They came out super aggressive of course, but it’s the playoffs. Obviously, we haven’t figured that one out. Still back to the drawing board.”
The Cavs scored the first six points of the final quarter and Detroit responded with plays at both ends of the court.
Robinson had a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 9:40 left and Cunningham made a 3-pointer to put the Pistons ahead by nine points with 2:12 to go, sealing the victory.
Cavs reserve guard Sam Merrill missed Game 2 with a hamstring injury after he was hurt in in the series opener.
Cunningham, Pistons not going to let up with 2-0 lead on Cavs
https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/48708023/cunningham-pistons-pull-away-take-2-0-lead-cavaliersDETROIT -- Even after taking a 2-0 series lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday night, Detroit Pistons star Cade Cunningham remained even-keeled amid success.
With a 107-97 Game 2 win, the Pistons celebrated their fifth consecutive postseason victory for the first time since 2008.
However, it was hard for Cunningham to forget that less than a week ago, the Pistons' season was on the ropes as they faced a 24-point deficit on the road against Orlando in Game 6 of their first-round series.
"It taught us how fragile and how thin of a line is that comes between winning and losing," Cunningham said of the Magic series. "So, being up 2-0 right now, we know it's a thin line still. So, it's one game at a time. We've got to go into Cleveland now and they're going to have their home fans around them, they're going to have more energy in there, so we've got to handle our business and be focused."
Ultimately, the Pistons rallied to win Game 6 and the opening series versus the Magic, overcoming a 3-1 hole before advancing to host the Cavaliers in Round 2.
But that first-round experience continues to motivate Cunningham to maintain focus.
On Thursday night, Cunningham led the Pistons over Cleveland with 25 points and 10 assists while Tobias Harris added 21 points and seven rebounds.
"Last series, learned a lot for sure. I mean being down 3-1, back against the wall, there's a lot of things that go through your mind with the potential of your season being over and stuff," Cunningham said. "So, just trying to find the best way to execute, but going through that series, you realize how long a playoff series can be and it's a war more so than just a battle.
"Being down 3-1 and then having a one-game-at-a-time mentality, fighting our way back into it and then winning it, coming down on the right side of it, was a great thing."
Cunningham has now scored at least 20 points in all 15 of his career playoff games, which is the fourth-longest streak to begin a career in NBA postseason history behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (27), LeBron James (19) and Anthony Davis (16), per ESPN Research.
He has averaged 31.4 points per game and 7.4 assists while shooting 55.2% from 3-point range during the Pistons' five-game win streak.
Cunningham started the first half of Game 2 against Cleveland with just five points and six assists but came alive in the fourth quarter, scoring 12 points -- including a step-back dagger 3 to put the Pistons ahead 101-92 with 2:12 remaining.
"I mean, Cade is just fabulous," Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. "He's the killer, closer and all of the adjectives you want to talk about. Like, he's it. And in the fourth quarter, he does his best work."
Pistons guard Daniss Jenkins was solid off the bench with 14 points, six rebounds and four assists, and sharpshooter Duncan Robinson became the first player in franchise history with five 3-pointers in back-to-back playoff games. Robinson finished with 17 points while going 5-for-9 from 3.
Detroit led by as many as 14 in the first half but allowed Cleveland to come back and take an 81-79 lead at 10:19 in the fourth quarter after a huge dunk by Evan Mobley. From there, the Pistons went on a 28-16 run to secure the 10-point victory.
The Pistons are 12-1 in best-of-seven playoff series when leading 2-0, while teams in that 2-0 scenario also go on to win the series 92% of the time, per ESPN Research.
But the Pistons aren't focused on history or statistics, after their experience with Orlando. So, they'll be prepared to see a hungry Cavaliers squad Saturday.
"We just know, just last series we was down 3-1. So, we're going to keep swinging," Jenkins said. "Our back still against the wall. The world still don't believe. We still trying to prove something to ourselves. We set out this year with certain goals in our mind and we're not there yet. Job's not finished."
Detroit Pistons learned their lesson in Round 1 and applied it vs Cavs
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.
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?
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.
Cade Cunningham scores 23, Tobias Harris has 20 to help Pistons beat Cavs 111-101 in Game 1
DETROIT -- — 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.
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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- New note - On 1807.06, I ceased daily transmission of my Hey Mom feature after three years of daily conversations. I post Hey Mom blog entries on special occasions. I post the days since ("Days Ago") count on my blog each day, and now I have a second count for Days since my Dad died on August 28, 2024. I am now in the same time zone as Google! So, when I post at 10:10 a.m. PDT to coincide with the time of Mom's death, I am now actually posting late, so it's really 1:10 p.m. EDT. But I will continue to use the time stamp of 10:10 a.m. to remember the time of her death and sometimes 13:40 EDT for the time of Dad's death. The blog entry numbering in the title has changed to reflect total Sense of Doubt posts since I began the blog on 0705.04, which include Hey Mom posts, Daily Bowie posts, and Sense of Doubt posts. Hey Mom posts will still be numbered sequentially. New Hey Mom posts will use the same format as all the other Hey Mom posts; all other posts will feature this format seen here.
