Pistons take 2-0 East‑semifinal lead with 107-97 Game 2 win over Cavaliers

The NBA story here is simple — Detroit has stopped looking like a nice playoff surprise and started looking like a real problem. The Pistons beat the Cavaliers 107-97 in Game 2 on Thursday, May 7, and now head to Cleveland up 2-0 in the Eastern Conference semifinals. That matters because Cleveland was the higher seed in this matchup, but Detroit has controlled long stretches of both games(apnews.com) finished the night with the calmer offense and the bigger shots. (apnews.com) ### How did Detroit win this one? Detroit got in front early, led 54-43 at halftime, and mostly stayed there. Cleveland did make the push you’d expect from a desperate team — the Cavaliers tied it 93-93 in the fourth — but that was basically the last moment the game felt up for grabs. The Pistons answered with an 18-8 finish, which is the kind of close that says more than the final margin does. (([apnews.com)gham actually control? Cunningham’s line was strong, but the bigger thing was pace. He scored 25, set up teammates for 10 assists, and kept Detroit organized once Cleveland made its run. When the game tightened, Detroit didn’t start freelancing. Cunningham hit the pull-up shots, got the ball where it needed to go, and made the fourth quarter feel slower than Cleveland wanted. (apnews.com)### Who else mattered for Detroit? Tobias Harris gave Detroit 21 points, which matters because this wasn’t a one-man carry job. The Pistons got enough secondary scoring to keep Cleveland from loading every possession against Cunningham. That balance is a huge reason Detroit has looked sturdier than a young team usually does in this round. (apnews.com)the star scoring. Donovan Mitchell finished with 31 points. But once the game got even in the fourth, Cleveland couldn’t turn that momentum shift into control. Detroit kept winning the possession battle, kept getting cleaner looks, and didn’t blink when the building got tense. That’s the catch for Cleveland — good stretches are not enough anymore. (espn.com) ### Was this about shooting? A lot of it was. Detroit was far better from 3-point range in Game 2, hitting 14 of 28, while Cleveland went 7 of 32. That’s not a tiny edge — that’s a math problem. Detroit also won the rebounding battle and grabbed 12 offensive boards, which gave the Pistons extra chances even when possessions got messy. (sofascore.com)flips to Cleveland, but the pressure flips harder. Game 3 is set for Saturday, May 9, and Cleveland is already in the zone where every missed rotation and every cold stretch feels season-threatening. Detroit, meanwhile, has stolen the leverage and the confidence. The Pistons don’t need to prove they belong anymore — they’ve already done that twice. (espn.com) ### What’s the real takeaway? Detroit has been the more composed team. That’s the headline underneath the headline. The Pistons have defended, shot well enough, and trusted Cunningham to solve the late-game possessions that decide playoff games. Cleveland still has time, but not much margin. Down 0-2, the Cavaliers are no longer trying to take control of the series — they’re trying to keep it alive. (apnews.com)a))